What I Learned From Rachel

  What I Learned From Rachel

Rachel sat on top of a bus during a festival in India. She taught ESL in NYC. She drank out of a clear running stream in Poland.  She befriended and lived with a family in Germany. She stood in a public square for hours in her bare feet to raise awareness for poor children who have no shoes.  She made latte with hazelnut my favorite drink.

She also was homeless from the age of 16, living with friends and family until she came to us when she was 21. Now she is a Clapp. She calls us for comfort or advice.  She comes home to us  at Christmas. She sends mother's and father's day cards.

Rachel is a hero, beautiful inside and out. Her orphaned situation DOES NOT dictate who she is. She loves people abundantly and isn’t bitter.  She's joyful, enthusiastic, determined, and a little stubborn. She diligently rises above the hand she was dealt. We mainly cheer her on from the sidelines.

More and more she sees clearly who she is. She’s proud of her Polish heritage and her big original family. She is also proud to be a Clapp. We’ve always been proud of her, but sometimes we have to brag about our kids a little, so . . .    

The last time she was home, she said, “There’s hasn’t been a blog about me.” So here it is. My apologies if it sounds like a eulogy, Rachel is alive and well.  But really, don’t you want to hear how wonderful people think you are? Isn’t it a little late to tell them when they’re laid out in a coffin?

So let them know how wonderful they are.

I love you, Rachel. Here’s hoping your mascara is waterproof.