For several years, the lower-grade students at Prairie Lutheran School have been pen pals with residents of a nearby nursing home. While my older son has had the same pen pal through the years, my younger son has had the opportunity to correspond with and meet new residents as others have gone on to glory.

Recently I was reading the local newspaper and had it open to the obituaries. He noticed a familiar name and said, "That's my old pen pal Esther." We talked about it and decided that it would be nice for him to send a sympathy card to Esther's son. Since he'd never written a sympathy card before, I suggested some things that he might write, beginning with "I'm sorry that your mother died." At this suggestion, he looked at me in shock and confusion and said, "But I didn't do it!"

I guess when you're in second grade, "I'm sorry" only means one thing.

Linda Kramer
Gibbon, Minnesota