I’ve read in both professional and spiritual growth books that people who create change and/or are good at what they do face adversity along the way. And others will want to tear them down to make themselves feel big and/or to make them feel small. It’s what deters some people from achieving great things. The same can be said for bullies in school. They crave something the other has or they feel better by tearing others down to their level.

I am experiencing this from a parent at the school that I work at. Unfortunately, their student trusted me to share their experience at home and ask for help and support. The parent, whose actions have not been respectful to me in the past due to me not backing down to what they demanded, has created a formal, investigative complaint to the school district about my ability to due my job. However, because I did my job, it has come to light that the parent may not be taking responsibility for their parenting and their child’s choices.

This has been a challenge not because I fear for my job or that I question that I did the right thing because I know I did the best I could to support the student and their needs as best I could. But because it connects my name to a slanderous allegation. And there seem to be some personal aspects that were included that creep me out about what lengths this parent will go to in order to deflect their own personal shame onto me. Bullies suck. I have to continue to affirm to myself that I did my job and I will not let this person deter me from making a difference in students’ lives every day.