Insurance Policy

Whenever I got to Marquette Elementary, I always look for the garden stone Ellie's classmates made for her.  And the bench that was replaced by Julie and Nick the year that Ellie would have graduated.  As I approached Marquette on Friday for materials pick up (something you do when your children are virtual learning), I noticed the stone had been moved.  I then clocked that the entire Marquette sign was missing.  A man approached the sign, and I inquired what was happening.  He sighed heavily and explained that he was trying his best to fix it, but he wasn't super hopeful.  I then OVER shared with him how the Garden Stone and bench were in honor of Ellie.  Then, of course, I went on to tell him how Ellie died 10 years ago, when she was in 5th grade and how her classmates created these in her memory.  I walked away feeling like, "Ugh!  Why in the world did I share so much with him??"  Because during this worldwide pandemic, so many of the times when I encounter people outside my family, I either have absolutely nothing to say or conversely, I have EVERYTHING to say.  It is so embarrassing.  As I walked away, I saw this man, bending down to pull weeds around Ellie's garden stone.  And I realized that I had just created an insurance policy that he would take extra special care that nothing happened to that stone.  I guess in the end, it changed both of our days.