SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS

A few years ago I had to tell my community college English class that I would miss the next session for personal reasons.

- JILL BIDEN

My students had many shining qualities, but boundaries were not one of them. They immediately began shouting, "Dr. B, where're you going?" My sister was having a stem cell transplant, the first of her cancer treatments. I tried to explain the situation with as much composure as I could muster, but the words caught in my throat. I faced the whiteboard, hoping to conceal my emotions. When I turned back around, the entire class was standing. They lined up and, one by one, they hugged me.