[powerpress]
This kaddish combines Mira’s straight-ahead Kaddish text, my straight-ahead Kogan “Kaddish,” Kjersti’s enthusiastic barking at I have no idea what, and my mournful take on “God Save the King.”
It comes by request of our friend and frequent commenter, Zoe. In honor of the royal wedding, she requested a Kaddish for her late grandma, Jewel Cannon Wells Goodner Rymer. She was a big fan of the royals, apparently—when Princess Di got married to Chuck way back when, said grandma insisted that the motorcycle trip stop and they check into a motel, so she could watch the wedding on TV.
Zoe’s grandma was born in 1920 in rural Texas, and she came to California during the Great Depression “just like Grapes of Wrath.” Her fascination with the royals could be escapism, understandably enough, but Zoe continued—it wasn’t just the pomp and the circumstance; her grandma loved the scandals just as much as the glamor. Sounds to me like she knew that class lines don’t describe much of anything beyond economics.
A kaddish for this woman who appreciated the humanity of the royals, and may Wills and Kate live out the happiness that eluded his parents.
A comment from Cheri on Facebook:
You nailed it, Erin. “…she knew that class lines don’t describe much of anything beyond economics.” She also believed that we can all decide to write our own narrative, facts be damned. All it takes is a stiff upper lip and a blithe refusal to settle for less than one’s due. Jewel was a hell of a woman and I mean that in the best and most loving possible way.
Sounds like my kind of woman!
Thanks for sharing these glimpses of her, Zoe and Cheri!
ואמרו אמן
ve-imru amein
Thanks, Erin. It has been quite a while since I have wept for her like this. It is amazing how much more moving one of your Kaddishes is when it is dedicated to someone I love.
As my mom puts it so aptly, she was a hell of a woman.
Widowed three times, she was a woman intimately acquainted with grief and loss, though I never remember her dwelling unduly on those losses. She was a woman who knew how to pick herself up, dust herself off, and live the life she wanted. Such determination. It served her well, and is an inspiration to me.
Thank you, Zoe, for inviting me to do this Kaddish. I enjoyed being able to give a small tribute to someone who sounds remarkable. And I’m intrigued by your comment, that the listening experience changes when it is for one of your people. Did it sound like it belonged to her somehow? Or could you feel my thinking of you and her when I was playing?