Spring Break
Expect the unexpected
Finding help in those times when you feel really lost
Issue date: 7/1/09 Section: Opinion
The second instance of helplessness also occurred when I was 16. A good friend of mine suddenly and tragically passed away in a car accident. In the heartbreaking whirlwind that was that day, I was alerted that, since his family was Muslim, they were required to hold the funeral and burial within 24 hours of the death. It was daunting. Things were happening so fast. In the tear-filled evening before and morning of his funeral, I didn't for a second consider the possibility that a Muslim funeral would be different than a Christian funeral - a reality that hit me hard as I was wiping away tears and looking through my closet to find something to wear.
Yes. I was helpless, because all potential cultural differences swooped in on me at that exact moment, and nothing in my colorful closet seemed quite appropriate. Then, my cell phone started to ring. A number I didn't recognize popped up on my caller ID. I answered. "Hey Jess, are you going to Raheed's funeral? If you are, I just wanted to tell you what to wear." It was someone I knew from high school, but had never really talked to before.
It never dawned on me to call someone I knew from school that was Muslim, but it occurred to him that he should call. This person probably doesn't even remember calling, and I'm quite sure he doesn't know how much his simple phone call meant to me, but he offered a small moment of clarity in the midst of complete chaos.
Looking back on my life thus far, I'm not sure if I have ever done something that touched someone's life as much as these two sets of people have touched mine. Maybe I have, and I will never know. At least, that is what I hope.
- Jessica Huseman
Associate Opinion Editor
Yes. I was helpless, because all potential cultural differences swooped in on me at that exact moment, and nothing in my colorful closet seemed quite appropriate. Then, my cell phone started to ring. A number I didn't recognize popped up on my caller ID. I answered. "Hey Jess, are you going to Raheed's funeral? If you are, I just wanted to tell you what to wear." It was someone I knew from high school, but had never really talked to before.
It never dawned on me to call someone I knew from school that was Muslim, but it occurred to him that he should call. This person probably doesn't even remember calling, and I'm quite sure he doesn't know how much his simple phone call meant to me, but he offered a small moment of clarity in the midst of complete chaos.
Looking back on my life thus far, I'm not sure if I have ever done something that touched someone's life as much as these two sets of people have touched mine. Maybe I have, and I will never know. At least, that is what I hope.
- Jessica Huseman
Associate Opinion Editor
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