I didn’t really know Sarah until January. We both had vague memories of our time in Brazil 30 years ago (“You always had a backpack” she would remember, which sounds about right. “You were tall and loved to dance” I would remember. Which also right.) No matter. She was part of the most amazing (and exceptionally eclectic) crew of former Rotary Exchange Students participating in our reunion this year. And everyone loved her.
She also was dying. A few months prior she learned she had stage 4 lung cancer (she wasn’t a smoker – she received the short end of the stick). The future was highly uncertain. But she decided to embrace Brazil and memories.
Friends, when I say eclectic I really mean it. Among our group we had:
- Mormons
- Evangelical Christians
- Episcopalians
- Atheists
- African-Brazilian pan-theistic
- Whatevers
And it didn’t matter. We simply loved being together and remembering an experience. And having REAL conversations where we cared about each other.
This is the beauty of exchange programs. You aren’t allowed to become dogmatic, because you know too many other people with different world views. Our world would be better if more people experienced other lives. This might be one of the most essential beliefs I hold.
Sarah contributed to a different world view. What if you were going to die in the next 6 to 12 months?
What a question.
She asked it though. We walked the beach and we had profound conversations. What is legacy? What does it mean to raise kids with trauma? Have we failed or somewhat passed the challenges of parenting? What is love? What is peace in the face of infinity?
I didn’t know Sarah well. But I had a moment with her that was an incredible blessing. Two weeks. We all did.
She passed away a few Fridays ago and I still find myself reflecting on this blessing (even while feeling sorrow).
