When I Left Home

The day before we left the house Lu's room was a mess.
It was a pile of down comforters and pillows.
Nothing was folded.
Nothing was made.
My younger daughter and I had decided to sleep there one night after falling asleep to "Snow White".
A favorite movie that Lu loved.

Many people made things for Lueza.
One friend whose daughter died in 2002 made her an afghan blanket.
Our neighbor across the street, who was a pediatric nurse practitioner, made her a quilt of red and pink.
A group of hospital volunteers made her another blanket.

I made the bed with all of them.
I folded each one and put them at the foot of her futon.
I arranged the pillows and placed a birthday card from my parents and our Guadalupe icon against them.

I stood in the doorway and looked at this beautiful sanctuary.