Don't judge.

It's a simple rule in life, but it's easy to forget. Several weeks ago a mother had tried to stop by my office but I was inundated with kids at the moment and asked her to return later; she never did. I was really quite content to send her away, and even more thrilled when she didn't return, hoping she forgot about me - because I didn't forget her. She was Epilepsy Mom, a woman who had ranted to me so memorably that I still refer to her when I try to explain to an outsider the parents I encounter. She found me today and my office was empty; I had no choice but to begrudgingly let her in. I could see she was holding back tears as she handed me a note from her daughter's physician describing the student's medication regime and how that is affecting her schoolwork (fatigue). Epilepsy Mom continued on, telling me the difficulty her daughter is having in dealing with this, and let on that it's not just epilepsy: "She's dealing with two diagnoses." I didn't press her for details but she opened up anyway: her daughter has a brain tumor.

No wonder when the diagnosis was fresh her mother couldn't think straight. She probably needed someone to let her anger out on, and it just so happened that I called at that time. Sitting in tears in my office today, I could see the human inside her.