In Dark Times, Little Gestures Go A Long Way

In the second semester of my freshman year in college, I received a call early on a Sunday morning telling me that my favorite uncle had passed suddenly. I was distraught.

I had to go to the main office on Monday to get documents to get my absence excused for the funeral. It didn’t help that I was already having a rough few months with my boyfriend cheating on me, breaking up with me, and then dating my best friend — while we all lived in the same dorm. Going to the office and waiting in line, I was just zoned out.

I ended up getting the admin who tended to be abrupt sometimes, so I just laid out what I needed, choking back some tears, expecting a quick response and maybe some documents.

To my great surprise, she grabbed the paperwork and walked around to my side of the desk. She very gently explained everything I needed to have my absence excused, and she did it in hushed tones to keep it private. At one point, she put her arm around me to give me a small squeeze.

To that lady, I just want to say thank you; you were one of the few who gave me such kindness during one of the hardest periods in my life. You didn’t have to go those extra steps, but you did, and for that, you have my gratitude.