Fulfilling a promise 4,163 days later

A group of former students and colleagues reunited on August 12, 2026, to witness a total solar eclipse, fulfilling a promise made 4,163 days prior. The gathering was a poignant tribute to their former teacher, Guðrún Margrét Jónsdóttir, who had inspired this unique tradition.

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She explained difficult material well, and most people managed to solve their problems and assignments with her help. It was always fun to come to her class, and she managed to lure more people into all sorts of elective physics courses than perhaps intended.

The initiative began on March 20, 2015, when Guðrún, a physics and homeroom teacher at Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík (Reykjavik Women's College), observed a partial solar eclipse with her students. Captivated by the experience, they collectively calculated when the next solar eclipse would occur in Iceland and vowed to reunite at the same spot outside the school to watch it together.

Guðrún passed away on January 17, 2019, but her students continued the countdown. They established a Facebook event where the anticipation for the August 12, 2026 eclipse persisted. Classmates shared updates, including one who witnessed a solar eclipse in Kansas City years prior. Guðrún herself actively participated in the event, sharing her own post-graduation activities and expressing excitement for the future reunion.

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But it was because she was, first and foremost, our friend. She was petite and she was a rock star. She took the bus to school from far away like us kids and chatted with us when time allowed. She was an equal, a true friend.

Esther Elín Þórðardóttir, a former student in Guðrún's homeroom class of 1996, described her teacher as an exceptional educator and a dear friend. "She explained difficult material well, and most people managed to solve their problems and assignments with her help," Esther wrote on Facebook. "It was always fun to come to her class, and she managed to lure more people into all sorts of elective physics courses than perhaps intended."

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It seemed like an eternity until the next meeting. August 12, 2026, sounded like a distant dream, but we were going to meet our dear friend again at this milestone. She was the most excited of us all for the meeting.

Esther further reflected on Guðrún's personal connection with her students: "But it was because she was, first and foremost, our friend. She was petite and she was a rock star. She took the bus to school from far away like us kids and chatted with us when time allowed. She was an equal, a true friend." The reunion on August 12, 2026, served as a powerful testament to the lasting impact Guðrún had on her students' lives, celebrating her memory through a shared celestial event.

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Dear Guðrún passed away in early 2019, bless her memory. But she sowed the seeds, and we wanted to honor our friend. We kept the countdown.