When Taneal was in 6th grade, she came home and mentioned her teacher's wife was very sick and that he had missed a lot of school. Later we found out it was cancer. But not to worry, in 7th grade, she was cancer-free. Taneal even baked cookies to bring to class to celebrate the recovery.
Yesterday Taneal texted me from school in the middle of the day and said that this teacher's wife had died over the weekend. Taneal never texts from school.
I picked Taneal up from school and there was a sadness with her. She asked questions. She thought long. And then she cried. She hadn't met this teacher's wife, but she loved this teacher and was feeling the sorrow for him. And for his daughter, another 8th grader.
Today we attended the funeral for this lady. It was a beautiful service. Many other teachers were there also. Taneal held herself together until after the funeral: She went up to her teacher to say hello. He told Taneal how he had just talked to his wife the other night about Taneal and what a beauty she was. He thought Taneal looked like Varuka in the Charlie and the Cholocate Factory movie, the old version. He said he always told his beloved wife this every time they watched this movie together and assured his wife that even though Taneal looked like Varuka, she acted nothing like her.
This pulled at Taneal's heart and she cried. It was sad to see my daughter mourn for her teacher's loss. But so sweet to see the tenderness in my daughter's heart. To hear her testimony of the eternities and how we will be together again.
That girl of mine is amazing. She is mature beyond her years. And I feel a sadness too, that my daughter is hurting. That she is being exposed to the life we all live and some of the sadness that comes with it.
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