Mass

It is amazing how many things are so perfect and so coincidental today.
The recessional song started with an African language and rhythm.
It was a wonderful harbinger for this trip. The homily was given by the
86 year old painter of the mural that has hung in front of my eyes for the last five years. It was astounding how much this man was able to teach me about art in just the space of a few minutes, and that art, music, poetry, and knowledge should always be trumpeted.

Two of my wonderful students from this year, were at the mass and shared their smiles and best wishes one more time before I left. And in the back of church, I was smiled on by one of my very first students. A student who taught me a lot in 1992, when I first came to Nerinx. She may have no idea how she made me a better teacher.
I learned from her, a vivid example of how much all parents love their kids, and ride along on the roller coaster of their trials and tribulations. Even when they are loving enough to give high school kids the freedom to venture out on their own.
This student also taught me that if I was going to teach kids Algebra and Geometry, I also had to get them to believe in themselves and to recognize the talents that they already possessed. Encouragement and knowing that people believed in you was just as important as the law of sines.