Try a little Tenderness

My sweet grandfather passed away last Tuesday. I wanted to remember him, celebrate his life, and grieve with my family without any interference from school, but it was inevitable that the two would overlap. On Wednesday, when I announced to my freshmen that I would be absent the following day, they immediately wanted to know why. As I explained the situation and the funeral plans, I teared up and had to stop speaking for a moment to regain my composure. During this moment, one of my most frequent discipline-problem students stood up, walked to the front of the room, and gave me a big hug. He then proceeded to sit and work quietly for the rest of the period. God is so good to give us strength just when we need it.