Today proved highly unusual for my seniors and me. As usual, the second semester seniors dragged into first period College Writing moments before or shortly after the 8:00 a.m. bell. Their outfits were the only oddity- young ladies in dark dresses and young men in black suits and serious ties. We needed to attend a funeral together today. We needed to travel a short distance to Durham to show support for a fellow senior, just eighteen years old, who experienced a loss I have never faced: the death of her mother.
In the midst of my student's personal tragedy, I had the opportunity to see the richness of life, the richness of love, the richness of community, the richness of duty, the richness of maturity.
Our school is small with a senior class of only 40. As the students learned of this mother's unexpected death, all seniors asked permission to attend the funeral. Many had not ever attended one until today.
We were the first to arrive in Watts Street Baptist Church, the historic church built in 1925, that included many elements missing from today's modern, hip churches- a pipe organ, stained glass windows, a robed choir, a transomed ceiling, hymn books. I watched as my students, possibly unfamiliar with the liturgy, the music, the tradition, sit solemnly and respectfully ready to embrace all elements in support of their classmate.
We read the Psalms written in King James I's orders; we sang words scribed by Saint Francis of Assisi; we watched the Army emissaries complete military honors and present the flag to one young lady; we hugged the family members; we thanked the pastors; we ate the food lovingly prepared by the church body. We participated, as a community, offering only condolences and hugs, not relief from pain.
Yesterday, my students and I wore our normal clothes. I advised my students on tips for organizing their research. I reminded them how to cite sources correctly. Tomorrow, I will offer strategies for self and peer editing. We will move forward on regular assignments necessary to complete their college preparatory education.
Today, we learned valuable lessons together. My regular lesson plans and unit objectives fail to cover the life skills learned today. Students had a rapid immersion in loss. In death. We learned that when you see someone hurting, when you hear of tragedy, when you feel helpless, when nothing will make the situation better, we learned there is only one thing to do: show solidarity simply through the act of being present.
Today, this teacher is grateful and proud and broken-hearted and thankful and optimistic and rich. This teacher is very rich.
