Hail Mary Full of Grace

Athena and Gail suggested I put this vignette on the blog - thanks ladies for the encouragement
I hope it fits
In 1989, my son Patrick entered Saint Dominic's School where he had the good fortune of being placed in Mrs. Gallagher's first grade class. Mrs. Gallagher was in a class all her own when it came to organization, neatness and kindness. She was a pioneer for the term "student engagement." Early in the year, Mrs. Gallagher thought it would be fun, during religion period, to teach the children sign language as they learned the prayer - The Hail Mary. Day after day, she molded the small slender fingers and those still chubby with baby fat ( Patrick's were somewhere in the middle) into the signs that would bring life to the words. Night after night, Patrick would practice showing us the parts of the prayer he learned to sign that day until his older brother would yell, "Enough with Hail Mary" or words to that effect. After awhile, Hail Mary took a back seat to the other new and exciting things Mrs. Gallagher was teaching. Later that year, Patrick's Aunt Christine, who is actually a sign language interpreter, came to the house with a little girl who was deaf. After Christine signed some introductions and directons to the little girl, Christine and I headed to the kitchen while Patrick and the little girl hurried to the dining room to color. While they were coloring Hail Mary awoke from her dormant state and began to surface. What I can only imagine as the performance of his life Patrick signed the Hail Mary to the little girl. After the signing, Patrick rushed into the kitchen annoyed and upset followed by a very confused little girl. Patrick's eyes misty with tears said to Aunt Christine, "Are you sure she is deaf. She didn't know what I signed" Well what did you sign?" asked Aunt Christine. " I signed the Hail Mary" (of course) was Patrick's reply. As Aunt Christine wrapped her arms around Patrick a smile broke out on her face as she told him, "Oh honey she didn't know what you signed because she is Jewish!! So Mrs. Gallagher, wherever you are, thanks to you, today there is a Young Jewish Woman who will always remember her first Hail Mary and a Young Catholic Man who learned about Judaism.