Loopholes

My definition of a gifted student is one who is obsessed with finding loopholes. I could argue that this definition also fits most middle school students, but mine are driven to share their loopholes, sometimes at the most inopportune moment. I love my students for their creativity and their hope. They believe there always is a way out.

In the past two weeks, we have been exploring moral philosophy. First, we discussed a few famous dilemmas, most notably the Heinz dilemma and the Trolley car one. Before embarking on these "Life or Death: what would you do?" discussions, I reminded my seventh grade students that for the sake of philosophy they had to take a stand and support it. All the same, they resisted choosing whether to divert a train to save lives and thus destroy a life. Thank goodness my students see the value of life.

Today, I found another hero, a 105 year old man who found loopholes years ago and refused to be told something could not be done. Sir Nicholas Winton was a 29 year old stockbroker when the Second World War was about to break out. When he found out about Hitler's plan for taking over all of Europe and saw firsthand the situation of the Jews in Czechoslovakia after the Munich Agreement, he felt compelled to do something.

He wrote to leaders of so many countries to see if he could organize a Kindertransport for the needy children of Czechoslovakia.  Most said no. After all, what would you do with these unaccompanied children? But "Nicky" didn't stop there. He asked the home office in England what he would need to do to grant the 2000 or so children passage into Great Britain.

"Anything that is not actually impossible can be done if one sets one's mind to it and is determined that it shall be done," was his creed. And so he created photo books of children and organized pairing up children with foster families. In so doing, he saved 669 children. They have now led to 5700 lives that would not be around today if it were not for his belief in loopholes. When he was told "no", he worked and asked questions until he could find a "yes".

I watched a beautiful movie about this centenarian today: "Nicky's Family". It is filled with oral history footage from him and from grown children he saved. What is most remarkable to me is that he didn't even tell his wife about this part of his history; it is only when she happened upon his scrapbook fifty years after the war that his tale let out. Since then, 261 of the now grown children have reunited and there are international efforts to form a "Winton Project" of good deeds. Thought the topic is a serious one, the movie is uplifting and motivating. 

I relate to what Amos Ben-Ron, one of the rescued children said: 

"A  lot of us have a feeling that we have to somehow repay Winton for all what he did.  We do it by doing work that is good and useful and helps other people."

I was not rescued from a life or death situation. I have always been fed and loved. There has always been an abundance of humor and laughter in my life, along with compassion when I have needed it. And still, I feel indebtedness to my family and the village that raised me. I still combat stage fright with a big breath and the mantra "I am doing this to honor the love I have been given."  It is not a loophole. It is me, a part of a chain of love and life. 

What do you do to honor the love you've been given?