Then and Now

I don't know if any of my Touro friends have noticed that I have a couple of followers who are not members of our esteemed Master's classes. These two ladies in question are dear, dear friends from college. They are both so precious to me, I couldn't possibly put it into words.

What I can tell you is that in the photo on the top we are all 20ish years old. The girl in the middle, DeDe, is now in Iraq (well, on her way home for some R and R) and married to this really cool guy named Ray who is a career military person. They live near D.C. If you ever have a chance to meet DeDe, you will be immediately struck by how friendly and open she is - a truly loving soul.

The girl on the left is Krissy, a Montessori school teacher and mother of Tommy Lee. She too is married to one of the kindest, friendliest men on the planet, Tony. They live in Sacramento. You'll never meet a more loving human being. Krissy is the definition of "friend." I know she'll always care for me, no matter what. How rare is unconditional love in this day and age?

The picture on the bottom was taken a couple of years ago, we hadn't seen each other in a while and had a gathering at Krissy's new house to catch up and celebrate the holidays. Instinctively, we lined up for this photo just as we had 15 years earlier when we were roommates in college.

What a treasure it is to have lifelong friends!

Mrs. Sessler

Today, Mrs. Sessler came and spoke to my 8th grade students. Mrs. Sessler is a remarkable woman in many ways, but in particular she comes to speak to the kids about her experience as a Holocaust survivor. She has done this, at my request, the last 8 years running. I feel like I know her story so well I could almost write a book about her. Well, today she asked me if I'd help her write a book, her book, her story. I don't think I've ever felt more honored. Here is a woman that I love so much I act like a giddy groupie when she is around and she wants my help. Needless to say, I told her I'd be honored. The mere thought of it has my insides swirling like goo.

Isn't it funny how the world works? To make a long story incredibly short, 107,000 Dutch Jews were taken into custody by the Nazis. 5,000 of those individuals survived. She is one of them. How amazing is that? How amazing is it that her grand-daughter, Julia Benner, came through the middle school and mentioned to Edward Coyne who mentioned to me she was a survivor and might be willing to talk to my kids? How amazing is it that she wants me to help her tell a story so profound? After all, she gives voice to almost 6 million people who cannot tell their tale. At 81 years old, I think she understands how important it is to get it recorded for perpetuity.

I think I might be the luckiest girl alive!