My entire face hurts from crying. Today, tears just came out with no control. I tried to keep with the celebration of life for Jhkumi but it was the most amazing memorial I have ever experienced. I had no control. I was just there in the moment taking it all in.
In June 2007, Jhkumi sat down and wrote what she wanted to happen today. She wrote the material and assigned poems and music to different people in her life, even her fellow camp counselors who made us all sing a song about a frog. She was 31 when cancer took her. And in the letter she wrote for today's event, she said that she wasn't ready to die. She already bought all the books she wanted to read to her children and toys that she thinks are appropriate. There is more that she wanted to do in her work as a scholar and educator. And although she has traveled the world in her quest to save humans and animals, there was a long list of places she wanted to visit, including living in Jerusalem. Her husband is a sabra. He spoke at the end and his loss cannot be described in words.
She told us that we shouldn't be at peace since she is not.
I can't imagine planning my service and can't even imagine who would show up. I lost touch with different decades of my life and can't even name my teachers from all the schools I attended. Jhkumi created a community in her life time and people from her life were there to celebrate.
What touched me most is that here was a person who had dreams to change the world. She was definitely a leader in education and had a love of animals and the earth. She did something about everything. She had dreams of being in government and driving policies toward science education in the schools. Her students were there today putting on a skit of how she impacted their lives. I just sat there in awe amazed at how much one woman was able to accomplish in a short time. It was sad but also inspiring. This was a woman who through her actions worked all the time at what she believed in.
And luckily, found time to love. This love story is also a loss. My friend not only buried his only daughter but will never see future generations. Jhukmi's husband married her when she was already diagnosed with cancer. They fought it together.
It was inspiring. I want to do more. My non profit work has been less than rewarding. I think I just need to do more where I am in contact with people who need help; not in the management ranks but real people.
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