It was a rainy day to kick off the the 41st School, but spirits and sisterhood love was high. At our opening ceremony, Sister Donna gave a in-depth history of the School and we got to see pictures of Schools dating back many years along with a video of Sister Ida speaking to the participants the one year she could not attend due to being in the hospital recovering from cancer. Sister Lois Gray celebrated Sister Ida's legacy to Labor, Civil Rights, Women Activism, and to the School with a heartfelt tribute. It is impossible to believe she is not here with us this year, opening the School with her message, to put down ladders for other sisters, and to never let another sister walk alone. But, as Sister Susan said earlier, "She IS here." Yes she is.
Sister Ida put down ladders for all of us, and passed the torch with generosity and relentless energy. We closed tonight with the song we always sing, one of Ida's favorite, "Solidarity Forever."