No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

No, I don't really believe that.

There are times, though—like this week—when it feels like there's some truth to it.

Earlier this week, a woman was shot and killed, allegedly by her adopted teenage son. I knew this woman because she was also the foster mom of a boy I taught for several years, who's now attending college.

I didn't know this woman well. I saw her and her husband and talked to them maybe half a dozen times during the years I taught that boy. They made a strong impression, though. Loving people with some cowboy flavor who opened their home to several boys, such as my student.

They even kept him on until he graduated from high school, by which time he was nineteen years old. I'm pretty sure they didn't have to. But they did.

This woman wasn't perfect, I'm sure. Who is? But I often marveled at my student's character, despite some hard circumstances throughout his life. His work ethic, and his positive outlook. If you looked at his history on paper, you probably wouldn't expect him to be the kind of person he is.

Much of the credit goes to the young man himself, but I think he'd agree his foster parents' influence played a role. And I know he's heartbroken by what happened this week.

Maybe it's true that no good deed goes unpunished. If it is, maybe it doesn't matter.

We'll keep doing them anyway.