"Not My Son"

My first year teaching at St. Francis Prep, I had a male student in my business law class who did reasonably well the first quarter, but in the second quarter his grades went down significantly.  On parent-teacher night, his mother came to see me to discuss his grade.

"Mrs. ___________," I said, "I think the problem is that _________ is distracted with his girlfriend."

"He doesn't have a girlfriend," she told me.

"Oh, yes he does," I said. "They kiss in front of my door before every class."

"Not my son!" she said. "He would never do that. No, not my son."

"Well," I said, "you may not want to believe it, but it happens before every class, and he comes in all starry-eyed and doesn't pay attention like he used to."

"No, not my son," she said again.

A few weeks into the third quarter, he was caught having sex with his girlfriend on West Top-Top, the west side of the floor above the highest floor with classrooms, where the Brothers reside. He was suspended for a couple of days.

His mother never said "Not my Son" to me again.

Sometimes the truth is not what you want it to be. Some are hurt by it, and some just accept it and move on. Either way, it's still the truth.