06 March 2007

To Cry...

I have this amazing student who just transfered in this semester. She only needs 2 classes, both mine, to graduate. This remarkable young woman gives you hope for the inner city and with the youth of today. She is like a ray of sunshine to walk into the class every morning. She is a single mother of 2, works full time at a hospital, has her own rock band (in a school where 99% is all Rap, it is a breath of fresh air), and pretty damned smart to boot.

Last week she told me that doctors discovered a tumor on her brain. She told me on Friday that she would be getting results this Saturday. What I was faced with this morning that this wonderful girl was dying. There is a surgery that could maybe save her but the likelihood of survival was only 25%. If she does not do the surgery she has at the most, 2 years to live. It took all I had to not cry today. Such a wonderful girl who has so much potential will not be here to see her own daughters graduate high school or even grade school.

There is so much ugliness in the world. Often I go to work dreading it until I find a student like this who makes you happy you showed up. When I told her it was breaking my heart she told me not to be sad, it was difficult for her to be around sad people. She wanted to go on with the life she has left. By 3rd period I was bawling like a baby.

When faced with something like this it really makes my problems seem so insignificant.

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