A personal note

"A personal note" is how the email reads - she's confiding in me - what she lets go of is heartbreaking.  The story is told, and I hear that she has decided not to report the incident, out of fear perhaps, or of not wanting to cause any more hurt. I'm not sure. But, now that she has told me, and it has happened at my school, I carry the burden.  I have to say something, but how?  She trusts me; I don't want to violate that trust. I lose sleep, ask advice from my husband, roll my responding email over and over in my head.  "Don't rush into a response," I tell myself.  "Think on this, and act in the morning when your head is clearer."  I listen to myself, thank goodness.

This morning I walk in and I know I have to say something, but this could go very wrong.  People could get worked up, I could get stuck in the middle. I have to make a partner in this.  I walk down do the head counselor's office, luckily she's free,"Can I ask for some advice?"

We managed through some careful and immediate conversation to allow this parent to be heard on her own terms. I'm glad I spoke up - the parent is glad she finally spoke up.  She was relieved and thankful that she was able to talk and share her son's story. And I am relieved and grateful that I was able to help. 

Comments

  1. Adrienne G.March 22, 2019 at 2:21 PM

    You have done a great job showing your struggle, without revealing confidential information. We teachers understand. We've all had these choices to make. I know that you probably felt better talking with the counselor. I hope the family gets what they need.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 22, 2019 at 3:26 PM

    Good for you. It's the tough decisions that we need to think through the most, but also the ones we must not ignore!

    ReplyDelete
  3. cflathersMarch 22, 2019 at 3:28 PM

    Sounds like a hard decision for you. Getting advice on how to handle it and waiting a bit sounds like a good plan.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LeahMarch 23, 2019 at 6:33 AM

    Not only is this a difficult situation, but your writing takes us through the angst you felt by reading the very first words.

    ReplyDelete

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