survival skills, the epilogue

well, i was back at school yesterday and i saw J, she of the survival skills. "today's my last day," she told me with a big smile. I asked where she was going (another middle school in town); wished her good luck, asked if I could give her a hug, and told her "you're such a sweetie, I'm gonna miss you!" at which she looked a bit confused and disappeared.

Only now does it occur to me that perhaps it would have been ok to ask, "did you find a place to live?" (since she was homeless before). I dunno, I gotta figure out this shelter-living etiquette. (I learned years ago that you don't talk abt someone being in jail; they are just "away," but is it ok to talk abt someone being in a shelter?).

Anyway, goodbye to sweet little J... may your skills indeed enable you to survive...may your sunny smile that last day be a good omen of better months and years ahead.