Grandpa Coach

It has become a new routine to talk to my mother on the way to work. This morning her mother called while we were talking which never happens. When I asked why, my mother responded.

"Oh, she called to tell me that she was leaving for Shul, they are trying to get rid of the rabbi there, that is what they do in Florida."

Satisfied with that answer, I continued to talk to her about our plans for the day thinking nothing of it.

Then in class today a student asked me what the date was and when I said it to her I finished with, "is there something special that happened on that date"? They looked up at me with blank stares and politely tried to answer me with anything they could think of, "Well, tomorrow would be May 11th, like September 11th...." I laughed and said, "No, I don't think that was it.

Unsatisfied with their answers, I shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

Then when I walked in my apartment this afternoon I called my sister at work to tell her something. She then reminded me that today was the one year anniversary of my grandfather's death. A lightbulb went off in my head and everything became clear. The phone call this morning, my mother's choice to "omit the truth", and the significant date.

The Jewish religion looks at death very differently then many religions. We see it as a celebration of life, and our funerals and ceremonies focus on honoring the dead. The year anniversary is called the YAHRZEIT. Basically a twenty-four hour candle is lit and a prayer called the Kaddish is recited. Because I am a granddaughter I do not celebrate a yahrzeit.

But nevertheless, I found a tealight, stood up and recited the Kaddish.