Xochitl

Well I finally fell asleep sometime after 3am, and woke up sometime around 8am. I had a dream that I went with a couple of my former students on a field trip (before coming to seminary I taught in a LAUSD high school for students with moderate/severe developmental disabilities), and we were taking a hike to this cross that was up on a hill. I finally ended up at one of the student's homes, and was spending most of the morning with her family, a big Mexican family who welcomed me in and where I felt right at home.
Anyway, the student was Xochitl, a student who touched my heart and my life in a big way. There was a strong connection of love, understanding, and trust between us. It might be the purest love I've ever felt for another person. And to this day I cannot think of her or tell stories about her without bursting into tears. So, needless to say, I have spent the morning weeping. I really miss her.
I think this came up partly because I went to get a new purse on Saturday (the old one got shrimp and lemon juice spilled in it...) and as I was transferring my stuff from one to the other, I ran across this small medallion of an angel that Xochitl gave me the last day I taught her. Maybe I'll write her family a letter (Xochitl doesn't read) in Spanish and ask how she's doing.