You know how we pick terms of endearment or nick-names for people we love? I have my generic ones that I use on a regular basis, but those people dearest to my heart get their very own. Noah had one of those:
Punk.
Yep. Punk.
My experience working with Noah in the classroom was an adventure from day one. He was one of the students who walked into the classroom like he owned it, because he did. He was extremely confident and remarkably capable. He knew the system, he knew how people worked and he knew what he wanted and how to get it. Often when I found myself calling him a punk I would get an impish smile in return- clearly that boy knew exactly what he was doing. He did things on his own time, he loved the spotlight, he demanded interaction from people he loved, and if you were boring him you definitely knew about it pretty quickly. He was, as the nick-name implies, a punk.
Also, he looked good in any color. Seriously any color. He loved water; swimming in it, pouring it, squirting it, watching it, you name it. He loved Blues Clues (Steve only, obviously. The boy had brains.) His rhythm makes the cast of Stomp look like monkeys playing in a junk yard. He had these cow-licks that gave him a natural fohawk. He loved music. He sang all the time and tapped out rhythms like you wouldn't believe. He had the most ridiculous love eyes I've ever seen- When he looked at you with love it went right down to your toes.He had his own language; drinks, micamins, happocopters, lights, crackers, and fedders all had their own meaning for Noah. He was hilarious.
Noah was a lot of things. Last Saturday I received the news that Noah had passed away. I spent Tuesday-Sunday of the next week with Noah's family. We talked and laughed and cried, not just about Noah but about a lot of things. One thing I learned as I spent time grieving with his family during such an intense time, is that out of all the things Noah was during his life, he was most definitely a Hoop.
Noah's Dad has a talent for taking whoever is around him and engaging them and helping them feel like they are part of his World at that moment. Noah could command an audience like no one I've ever seen. There were times in class when I wished I had spent the morning selling tickets to the Noah show.
Noah's Mom loves fiercely and she is staunchly loyal. When Noah loved you he loved you all the time and he loved you deep and he loved you even when he was ticked off at life. He never gave up on you and Wendy never gave up on him.
Noah's brother Gabriel is a quietly strong person with the ability to consistently do hard things while checking up on the people closest to his heart. Noah had an ability to cope that I've only seen matched by Gabriel. Those two are modern-day Jobs in my eyes.
Duncan Hoop is one of the most capable people I have ever know. That kid can do anything. Noah would set his mind to something and he simply wouldn't give up. He might go home, he might move on to another activity, but you could bet that the next morning he would be right back to solving how to touch the lights, how to get your watch, how to magically force animal crackers to crawl to him when he called.
Marley Hoop is one of the wisest, gentlest, most nurturing souls I've ever know. That four-year-old has more sensitivity, more devotion, and more understanding than most adults I know. As vibrant and sometimes inhumanely uncontrollably loud as Noah could be, he also had moments of gentleness. Cuddling with a blanket, quietly singing with a friend, reading on a beanbag, and, of course, dumping water outside. The boy knew how to regroup, how to rest and how to invite the people he loved into a state of simply being with him, objective-free and gentle.
Graham Hoop is passionate. He means "no" passionately and he means "yes" with every ounce of yes-ness he's got. Noah never really hesitated to voice an opinion. That boy didn't feel things halfway. He felt strongly and he got along better with you if he knew you could do the same. He was passionate about what he wanted, but he was also passionate about having fun. He could make anything fun if you just let him.
Theo Hoop is sweet, mild and the most cuddly thing on this earth. At three-months-old he has established himself as pretty much the best baby ever. I found myself wondering several times while I was in Utah and holding Theo at every chance I got, if may be he had the most clear connection to Noah out of all of us. Theo still has that magical-I-just-came-from-heaven quality about him, and now that Noah's there too I can't help but think there's a unique and predestined connection between the two of them.
Noah wasn't just a dear friend to me, he introduced me to a whole family of people I absolutely love. Noah spent a lifetime bringing great people together and fostering friendships that will last for eternity. Marley and I talked several times about how we would miss Noah and Noah dying would be a sad thing forever. But there are so many things about Noah that bring happiness! I am so thankful for Noah. I'm so thankful for his smile and his love and his punkness. I am so thankful for his family and their patience and honesty and trust. Because of them I don't feel like I've lost Noah. I miss him, but he's still very much impacting my life and the lives of those around him. How very like Noah to refuse to go quietly.
Ever since I first heard this song several years ago it has been my Noah song. He was courageous, and in the midst of his worst days I could feel in his eyes his encouragement to never let evil get me down. And man, oh man, could he ever make me laugh. I love that boy. That little punk of a symphony. Through all of this I've been writing about Noah in past tense as I search through all my memories. But I very much think of him in the present and firmly know that he is still courageous, still making people laugh, and still winning battles I cannot even fathom.
Two days before Thanksgiving I'm a mess of emotions. But the one thought that always, always, brings tears to my eyes is how thankful I am for this boy and his family. I'm not sure how to process everything that's happened or how to help a family through something like this. I know it's going to be a tough road, but for this moment I know I can at least be thankful.
Noah taught me that's an easy way to start.
