46 weeks/Sue's Birthday

Dear Friends and Family, Some revelations this week that I need to share and I want to also let you know about the special program in Sue's honor this week. Sue's birthday is this Tuesday and it is another first to experience.  I will be surrounded by family from today through her birthday which will be immensely supportive.  So many of you have continued to reach out and as I approach the completion of the year of mourning, your ongoing caring is unprecedented in my experience as a rabbi.  Everyone has people who support them, but the depth and quantity of the love and kindness I have received is a reminder that love changes everything.  Sue would be inspired by the ways in which you have taken care of me and it is a tribute to her that kindness does make a difference in a world that isn't always kind. As I have had to rabbinically guide a number of people recently as they are dealing with illness and death, I have finally accepted that although my faith in  and career of teaching about the randomness of life's events has been tested (life is random but it won't happen to me or the people about whom I care), I realize that what happened to Sue was a random event.  These words from Rabbi Harold Kushner ring true for me now...   Laws of nature treat everyone alike.  They do not make exceptions for good people or for useful people.....Laws of nature do not make exceptions for nice people.  (When Bad Things Happen to Good People p.58) Rabbi Kushner's point that it is not why bad things happen to good people, but when bad things happen to good people, has been so present in my teaching.  It is when they happen that the Divine appears through the actions of those who support the person who has suffered the bad things. I also have finally accepted that our children's faith in the fact that their mother's sudden passing might have been a blessing for her. I recently  attended a session of a grief support group and heard 11 different accounts of prolonged illness before untimely deaths.  Sue would not have wanted to suffer for a long period of time and was able to leave this world the way she lived in this world, full of wonder, love, and kindness.  Maybe Kenny Rogers, in his iconic song, The Gambler, was right when he said the best thing one can hope for is to die in their sleep. Please note the information and link for the program which I have included below.  If you want a recording of this program, please let Maria know. If you are able to attend the program, please click on or put the link in your browser and we look forward to seeing you on Tuesday. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Bruce Aft Hello all, Thank you for your ongoing support of the Sue Aft Memorial Conversation Series: Building Community through Hope. I’m pleased to share the details for our next event on Tuesday, 17 February at 4:30pm, Angel Parson and Charles Chavis will lead an examination of the legacy of Gullah Geechee culture and heritage and how this community instills hope to further the dialogue of global reconciliation. I hope you can join us at the Spiritual and Interfaith Center on the Fairfax campus for this special evening, and share with your network, community, and students. https://carter-school.ticketbud.com/the-sue-aft-memorial-racial-healing-conversation-series (please put this in your browser) Angel Parson is a skilled strategist with a passion for fostering collaboration, sustainable preservation, and economic development in marginalized communities. Ms. Parson has focused on advancing and amplifying the Gullah Geechee heritage and culture through her leadership roles with the Legacies of Enslavement at The Guardian, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the Gullah Cultural Heritage Corridor National Heritage Area—a multi-jurisdictional collaboration to support documentation, recognition, and preservation of the historic and cultural sites.  Please let me know if there is any other information I can provide. I look forward to being in touch soon with future dates and program details. Thank you again! My best, Maria Maria Seniw, CFREshe/herDirector of DevelopmentJimmy and Rosalynn Carter School  for Peace and Conflict Resolutionmseniw@gmu.edu(703) 993-8763 (office) – give.gmu.edu

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