We said goodbye to grandma and our cousins this cool overcast morning. Autumn was so sweet wanting them to stay, to continue playing with them. I love how kids make those connections so quickly and so naturally, they seem to really understand that there is something special in kin. She asked, “will we ever see them again?”

This evening, we sat down to read a bit about Steve Jobs and his life. How awkward it was to try to explain to Autumn that he died because he had cancer, but that it was a different kind, a rare type, and that he was a lot older and more fragile than her. Oh, I know she understood that a lot more than I wished she was able to as she is as keen as a grandmother at her young age. I feel like sheltering her from the world, because it feels as though negative thoughts can penetrate one’s soul and create negativity where there shouldn’t be! I feel as though our response to catastrophe, our mental state, can have much to do with the success rate in overcoming an illness. I realize that sometimes nothing can be done, but attitude is worth something, and right now she’s got the right one!!