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#DoItForDawson

the greatest smile

the dimples

the hair fidget

the laugh

He is Christian Dawson, a former student of my #FriendEng3 class. And he is gone.

In the early hours of New Years Day, Christian celebrated with his friends at a party on the second floor. Below, a still unidentified stranger on the first floor opted to open fire, smashing bullets through walls and windows in front and above.

One of those bullets found Christian.

A kid with a smile more contagious that the flu. One speaker at his funeral said, "If you needed a smile, Christian always had one to share. If you already had one, Christian gave you one to give away." So true. And so beautifully put by another young person who shouldn't have been saying goodbye to his friend at only 19.

It still breaks my heart to think about it. Sometimes, I don't understand the world. What a tragic, deep loss of an amazing spirit.

Christian's funeral, while at times excruciatingly difficult, was a true celebration. The room of wall-to-wall people laughed together, held hands, and stood when moved. So many images will stick with me for time to come. One thing I continue to think about, especially, is Christian's peers - all those other former students who hugged me ferociously at the conclusion of the ceremony. Yes, this is one of life's most difficult obstacles, presented to them a little too early. It is also, though, a time for them to gather their strength and lean on each other, and in that, they will find solitude. I believe, also, that they will now proceed on to an even greater future, moving on that journey with Christian always in their hearts. They will live and love and laugh more intensely, knowing that every moment and every gesture count.

These are the kids who began the #DoItForDawson bracelet sale. They plan to give the money to upcoming students who need scholarships to further their education - all in Christian's name. And they wear those bracelets daily to remember.

With them, I'm wearing mine. It reminds me to love all of my students, even when it's hard. It reminds me to smile as often as possible. And to laugh. Loudly. (<Not that I have trouble with that last part...)

Christian Dawson was my kind of student. We had so much fun in his class, and I learned as much from him and his friends as they did from me. On Wednesday, when I meet my new crop of sophomores, I'll wear it once again along with a big smile, and I'll be sure to laugh a lot in those initial class periods together. All for Dawson.

#DoItForDawson

Comments

  1. Rooks AP LangJanuary 15, 2017 at 3:05 PM

    I told you - I already cried in my coffee on Saturday morning. Now I'm crying in my tea on Sunday evening.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 31, 2017 at 9:11 AM

    #FindSteve Come back.

    ReplyDelete

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