A New Week

It was good to go to work today and be busy with my mind occupied. This evening I had an amazing conversation with someone who is battling cancer. We had never really talked before, but his knowing my situation and my knowing his, we just clicked. I noticed some similarities in our collective experience; shock, fear, faith, acceptance, living with mystery. Although it was not verbalized, I think there is a sense of peace that comes with knowing the worst has happened. Cheryl Strayed expressed it after the death of her mother like this: "nothing bad could happen to me. The worst thing already had." It was an easy conversation about difficult situations. I have had people opening up to me like never before, talking about mental health, suicide, serious illness, personal things we usually keep to ourselves or our inner circle. It has been one of the positives to come out of this.

Something Cal said yesterday stuck with me. He was sharing his timeline (of his life) with his reflection group on the trip to Memphis. He described his service trip to Guatemala over Christmas as putting him on the highest of highs. He had written a really great 2 1/2 page, single spaced, essay on it that Grandpa had been requesting since he returned in January. He had in fact just emailed it to Grandpa on February 2nd when he got a text message from his aunt saying she was so sorry and her heart was breaking. He had no idea what was going on, since he had just talked to Grandpa to make sure he got the email. As he explained this to the students and one older adult, he went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows upon learning that Adam had ended his life. He said the group was eerily silent and the adult present gasped. We are all experiencing telling our story to someone who has no clue what is coming. It is kind of a defining moment and hurdle we all must cross at some point.

Some of the Mississippi River Clean Up

Guatemala was all about the people