Bereavement Fund for Lynn Herman's Children
On Sunday night our friend Lynn Herman passed away. I’ve known Lynn for eighteen years, since I was sixteen years old. That year was my first year as a counselor at Special Session, a summer camp for people of all abilities. That year Lynn hugged me, cried with me, told me she was proud of me, and didn’t tell on me when she saw me smoking a cigarette. I think a lot of people could say the same thing about Lynn.
Lynn was a teacher at Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary. I was in a weekly book club with her this year so I got to hear her share stories about her students. Covid was hard on her because she wanted to hug them all so badly. She could feel how they needed that. She told me a few times this year that she had chosen to take her students outside that afternoon even though they had work to do--because the world was hard right now, and people, especially children, deserve rest and sunshine when the world is hard.
Lynn has been a volunteer at Special Session at Camp McDowell since our first year in 1998. She was the queen of arts and crafts, the most reliable golf cart driver, and always ready for some quality porch time with anyone who needed a listening ear. You could bring Lynn your laughter or your bad attitude or your heaving sobs. She had space for all of it. She knew how to tell you you weren’t alone. She knew how to be with people.
She was not only a dedicated mama to Sam, Lauren, and Josh; she was a mama to anyone who needed one.
Lynn taught us how to show up with open arms and to laugh with a full voice. She taught us how to grow and keep growing. She taught us to forgive and how to fight for things worth fighting for. She loved us well.
Our hearts are filled with love for her and for her family. We already miss her so much.
We’ve created this bereavement fund for Sam, Lauren, and Josh. Our intention is to gift them this money to help them with expenses as they grieve. We hope that they lean on us when they need support. We hope that they are able to tend to their own healing. We hope they feel held by their community and by Lynn’s incredible love for them.
This fund will remain open until May 1st. All of the money will be given directly to the Herman children.