Endings

There are many types of endings.  Some are good – like the end of an illness or the end of a long winter.  Others are expected, like the end of the school year.  And, then there are the unexpected….

The “normal” endings are like putting square pegs into square holes.  They fit.  After weeks of feeling lousy, the fog lifts (or the nose dries up), and health returns.  In the spring, along with the new growth, the school year winds down.

The end of the Religious School year is always bittersweet.  I truly love my 7^th graders – and, yes, I say this and mean it every year.  This year’s end was especially hard.  I had an amazingly awesome group of young people in my classroom.  I’m not saying this (only) because my son, Sam, was in the class.  The students were still awesome when he was not there.  (He was sick quite a bit this winter.) For the most part (they are 7^th grade, after all!), the students were thoughtful and respectful.  We had in-depth discussions, and we played silly games.  Learning and fun in a safe community-like setting -- what more does one need from 7^th grade in Religious School?

It is those unexpected endings that throw us all for a loop.  Recently, a former student tragically passed away.  Dear friends lost their son and a beloved former student lost her brother.  How do we deal with the loss of a kind and gentle 26 year old man?  This young man, Sam, was in my class 13 years ago – the year my Sam was born.  In fact, this sweet, goofy 7^th grader asked me if I named the baby after him.   The funeral was surreal.  It was a chilly and rainy day, which seemed appropriate.  Sitting in the synagogue and later standing by the graveside, I was in a fog.  Former students are getting married and starting families.  This is odd enough to me, but in a very good way.  Burying a former student just is not right.

Putting on my “Holocaust Teacher” hat, I know of endings that come in so many shapes and sizes.  For every shape and every size, there is a personal story.  Most of these endings are tragic, but there are also endings of hope and bravery.  These are the ones I focus on in class.  These are the ones that give us the courage to learn the others.

Your life has been cut short

You barely had time to begin

Yet, in your short time,

We saw your inner beauty

We saw your kindness

We saw your generosity

And, we have learned from you