In Memory of Dawn

Today is the feast day for the well-known St. Thomas Becket.  For those who do not know the story, here is a quick version:  King Henry II, who was having trouble with the pope...decided the best answer was to make his friend the Archbishop of Canterbury.  What he did not realize was at the consecration of Thomas Becket, God filled him with the Holy Spirit and was given the gift to resist the temptations of the king...in fact, becoming quite determined to follow the Church's teachings and help the people in England over the king's desires.  Although King Henry truly appreciated Thomas as a friend and adviser, in a fit of rage over Thomas' new found pious demeanor, cried out:  "Who will rid me of this man?"  Four soldiers, overhearing this command, decided that killing the archbishop was the answer and carried out this plan by sneaking into the cathedral during Mass...killing Thomas at the altar. There is so much more to this story and I encourage you to learn the details as it is an awesome story of God's grace.  There is even a wonderful classic movie that gives a good account...Becket (1964).  We will be watching it today.

So, we thought about this saint and how to bring this back to our daily memorials for the victims of Sandy Hook.  After great thought, we realized the best choice for today was Dawn.  Dawn was the principal of Sandy Hook who risked her own life to stop the shooter.  She was a true leader trying her best to improve the school and make learning fun for the students.  While we looked for information about Dawn, we came to see her as a strong leader who wanted more than anything to make 'her' school the best it could possibly be in all aspects, including security.  She went to great lengths to encourage everyone around her to be their best.

Dawn was a small woman in stature with a big heart for education.  She was always seeking new ways to provide the needs of the teachers and students.  She would even provide these needs herself...dressing up as the Book Fairy...creating fun learning days AND fully participating in these events...and seeking grants to improve the school.  She had a distinct interest in helping the special needs children in her school as well.  She also had a desire to learn for her own improvement, as she was going back to school to obtain her doctorate...and then sharing what she learned with others.

There is no question that she will be missed by everyone in the community as she considered her position a role that included everyone in Newtown.  She saw the school and the community as her extended family.

Away from school, Dawn was a wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend.  She was just as active in her home as she was at the school.  She loved hiking, sailing and skiing, but most of all, she just loved being with her family.

How do you put all of this spirit into a quilt?  It just is not possible...but we tried to capture her role as a leader along with her interest in the whimsical to create her quilt.  The idea was to focus on her fun book fairy character that she portrayed at the school.  The main quilt design is a crown with  her various interests incorporated into the display.

So after looking back on the life of Dawn, we see the likeness to St Thomas Becket.  Dawn was so  passionate in her role in the community.  She died in a senseless act and defended the lives of others until the very end.  One of her friends described Dawn as a 'raging bull' (included in her quilt design) because she was willing to charge in and take on a situation head on.  She showed this to the very end of her life...willing to give her own life as the solution to end the assault on the school.

May her soul rest in peace...and may her family and friends be comforted by the knowledge that Dawn was true to herself until the end....a true hero in life and death!

Today is also the FIFTH day of Christmas...five golden rings...the most treasured of all the gifts...represents the first five books of the Old Testament (Torah).  Within, these books is the most valuable of messages..."Love the Lord with  all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5) and "Love thy neighbor as thy self." (Leviticus 19:18).  In our house today, we honor the life of Dawn who fulfilled these commands throughout her life.