Compassion in Things That I'm Grateful For

I walked into class and one of my students wasn’t looking as energetic or happy as he used to. The truth is, neither was I. Four teachers were out with Covid, so I was teaching way more than I had ever done before. I felt wrung out like a sponge.

But I somehow still found a smidge of compassion and walked up to him. “Is everything okay?”

“No, Mr. J, it’s been a hard week.”

“For me, too. Are you going to be okay?” I asked.

“I think so,” then he peered at me through his glasses, “Can I have a hug?”

“Of course,” I said. So he gave me a big hug while the other students in the class looked on. I felt him heave a deep sigh, and then he returned to this seat. He had a little bit more of a smile plastered on him and seemed a lot less listless.

Then I started class.