“This is the hardest part of being a teacher.” 

Those were the words I said to Mr. Stary as we converged in the church parking lot for  visitation before the Kyle Barr funeral.  

We teachers know how to discipline our students, challenge them, and applaud them for their accomplishments.  But, we don’t know how to bury them . . . or what to say to the sister and parents of the too-soon deceased.

I left Kyle’s visitation with a new appreciation for the long life given to me, and the desire to remind my students and friends that none of us knows what the next moment brings. We have to treasure our time together, bury our anger and distrust, and resolve to do our best for others. 

I want to tell Nicole, her parents, and Kyle’s friends that the tears they are shedding are a tribute to him, a reminder of how much he meant to them.  Let them flow. . .and flow. . .  and then live your life to the fullest to honor the lesson of his death:  time is uncertain; make the most of it.  

RIP, Kyle. We know where you are now is far better than anything we can even begin to imagine, but also know you are missed.