The “I Can’t” Funeral

A group of schoolchildren learn a powerful lesson in positive thinking

The students in Donna’s fourth-grade class busily wrote on sheets of notebook paper, describing the things they couldn’t do.

“I can’t do long division with more than three numerals.”

“I can’t get Debbie to like me.”

“I can’t hit one over the left-field fence.”

“I can’t eat only one cookie. ”

The students wrote and wrote. Most filled their page. Some started another.

“Finish the one you’re on and don’t start a new one,” were the instructions Donna used to signal the end of the activity. Students were then instructed to fold their papers in half and bring them to the front of the classroom.

When students reached the teacher’s desk, they placed their “I Can’t” statements into an empty shoebox. When all of the student papers were collected, Donna put the lid on the box. Then she trucked it under her arm and headed out the door and down the hall. Students followed the teacher. I followed the students.

Halfway down the hall the procession stopped. Donna entered the custodian’s room, rummaged around and came out with a shovel. Shovel in one hand, shoebox in the other, Donna marched the students out of the school to the farthest corner of the playground. There they began to dig.

They were going to bury their “I Can’ts”! The digging look over 10 minutes because most of the fourth-graders wanted a turn. When the hole approached three feet deep, the digging ended. The box of “I Can’ts” was placed at the bottom of the hole and quickly covered with dirt.

Thirty-one 10- and 11-year-olds huddled around the freshly dug “grave.” Each had at least one page full of “I Can’ts” in the shoebox, three feet under.

At this point Donna announced, “Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads.” The students complied. Then Donna delivered the eulogy.

“Friends, we gather today to honor the memory of 'I Can’t.' While he was with us on Earth, he touched the lives of everyone. His name, unfortunately, has been uttered in every public building schools, city halls and, yes, even the White House.”

“We have provided ‘I Can’t ‘ with a final resting place. He is survived by his brothers and sister: ‘’I Can,’ ‘I Will’ and ‘I’m Going to Right Away.’ ” They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong yet. Perhaps some day, with your help, they will make and even bigger mark on the world.

“May ‘I Can’t’ rest in place and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence. Amen. ”

The activity was symbolic, a metaphor for life. It was an experience that would stick in the minds of these fourth-graders forever. They would never forget this day.

The burying of the “ I Can’ts” and the eulogy were a major effort on the part of this teacher. And she wasn’t done yet. At the conclusion of the eulogy she turned the students around, marched them back into the classroom and held a wake.

They celebrated the passing of “I Can’t” with cookies, popcorn and fruit juices. As part of the celebration, Donna cut out a large paper tombstone. She wrote the words “I Can’t” at the top and put “RIP” in the middle. The date was added at the bottom .

The paper tombstone hung in Donna’s classroom for the remainder of the year. On those rare occasions when a student forgot and said, “I Can’t,” Donna simply pointed to the RIP sign. The student then chose to rephrase the statement, remembering that “I Can’t” was dead.

wake 守靈: Some people honor their loved ones who have died by holding a wake.

eulogy 掉詞 : Bob gave a very touching eulogy at his father’s funeral.

rephrase 改變措辭: What you said was very rude. Please rephrase your comments in a polite way.

metaphor 隱喻 : A good metaphor for life is a ship crossing the ocean.

make a mark on the world 在世界上有卓越成就 : Sarah hopes to make her mark on the world by finding a cure for cancer.

utter 說;講: The children were all very quite. They didn’t utter a word.

comply 遵從指示 : If Jim wants to get a promotion , he must comply with his boss’s every request.

rummage 翻箱倒櫃地找 : I rummaged through my closet looking for my old blue jacket.