Acting Without the Drama

June 23, 2009.  Yesterday was a day of joy and sorrow for me, so much so that I wasn’t really up to writing about it.  Now that I am a day removed from it, I think I will be able to do it a little more justice.

Life continues to surprise me with its sharp pangs and gentle mercies.

I started the day with the news that one of my former students had been accepted to one of the best drama schools in the UK.  He was a student that, in addition to being talented, was dedicated.  He worked hard, listened attentively and pushed himself to go beyond his comfort zone.  I was thrilled to hear of his success.

I ended the day with the knowledge that another of my previous students had passed away after a long struggle against Cystic Fibrosis.  She had been on the donor list for a new pair of lungs, but the donor that was found ended up, after the autopsy, having cancer cells in a different part of the body.  Before another donor could be found, my student succumbed to her long fight.

She was one of those rare students that was as gracious and pleasant as she was dedicated.  If there were ever anyone that deserved to be absent from time to time, it was she, and yet I believe she was one of my only students to have perfect attendance.  I never knew her to complain even a little bit.  She attacked her work with relish and fearlessness.  She was a joy to teach.  She was an even greater joy to know.

I’ve never had a student pass away before.  I’ve seen others get quite sick.  I’ve known others to go through major operations.  I’ve vicariously experienced a hundred pains and travails of those whom I mentor, some of which have been quite real, others of which were mostly illusory.  I was completely unprepared for the impact that this beautiful soul’s departure had on me.

I don’t wish to dwell on this event for too long in this entry.  I simply want to honor her and express my love for her.  I find peace in believing that we will see each other again and also sadness in knowing that I will miss her until then.

I also want to acknowledge how much I have learned from her example.  She was the anti-victim.  She lived her live without bitterness or angst.  Her trials and tribulations put mine to shame, and yet I have handled my own with far less grace.  There really is no excuse for my whining.  There is very little reason for my frustrations.  She demonstrated to me, in a thousand little daily choices, how to decide to live a joyful life.

And I will be forever grateful.

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