September 12th, 2025
Asher and I arrived at the school a bit early. I parked down the street and got out of the car to go around and help Asher out of his child seat. As I walked, a Black lady called to me. She was sitting on a chair near the curb. She looked at me and asked,
“Sir, do you got any change?”
I paused for a moment, and then I dug out my wallet. I had a five in there. I pulled it out and handed to the woman. She thanked me. I asked her what her name was. She replied,
“Tiffany.”
I told her, “I hope you have a good day, Tiffany.”
As I went to Asher and unbuckled the harness on his child seat. He asked me,
“Grandpa, what did you just do?”
“I gave the lady some money.”
“Why?”
“Because she doesn’t have any money.”
“Do you have any more money?”
“”No, not any paper money, but I can get some more.”
Asher told me, “That’s good, Grandpa. I want you to have money.”
The lady smiled at Asher as we walked past her. People often smile at Asher.
We walked down the block to the Waldorf school. The teachers and the aides were busy setting up cones in the parking lot. The cones are numbered to indicate the class. Before classes officially start at 8:00 AM, all the students line up by their respective cones in the lot. There is a certain amount of foolishness and horseplay, but the teachers keep the kids mostly in order.
At 7:50, an adult rings a bell (or shouts) for everyone to settle down. Then everyone is supposed to recite a verse in unison. That’s how every day is supposed to begin at the Waldorf school. It doesn’t quite happen that way. I have yet to meet anybody at the school, even among faculty members, who knows the verse by heart. That is not really a problem. Each person knows enough of the verse that it all comes together when multiple persons recite it.
It goes like this:
“Morning has come. Night is away. We rise with the sun, and we welcome the day.”
That portion is sung, twice. Then the last part is spoken verse.
“I strive to learn, to learn to give, to give my heart to all I see. I see that I, with heart aflame, am a flame of love that can light the world.”
That’s a damn good verse.
Frank is Emptiness 