Last week I spoke with Mr. Bender’s family. They wanted us to know how deeply they have been touched by the love Longden has poured out for him. They feel our love too, and we feel theirs.
Mr. Bender’s wife, mom, & sister, have been updating us, checking in, and in the middle of their own grief & pain, making sure we are okay. It felt like receiving a huge, comforting hug from Mr. Bender through his family.
They also shared how some of the students' letters have brought them good laughs during these hard days. It brings us joy to know that, in a small way, we can be a source of love, comfort, & lighthearted moments for them.
Today, Mr. Bender’s wife, Meghan and family, were our guests of honor during our spirit assembly. It was a rally and tribute to the wonderful person Mr. Bender IS. Mr. Nazari led a beautiful song for him that was performed by all fifth and sixth grade students. The entire event was tearful, yet truly heartwarming.
Throughout the rally, I felt Mr. Bender’s presence and couldn’t help but wonder if we had done enough to honor him. Then I remembered something Meghan shared with me during one of our conversations. It was a simple but powerful reminder:
Mr. Bender IS proud of us.
May we hold onto those words. May we honor him not only with our words, but with our choice to be kind to one another, to find joy even on hard days, and to love this school and each other the way Mr. Bender did.
Thank you Mr. Bender.
You will always be one of us.
You will always be a Longden Tiger.
With love and deep gratitude,
Nickie Oh-Saxon 🐾
💙💛
A special thank you to Jerry Jambazian for capturing this very special assembly. The video and pictures will be available soon through
Temple City Photos.
