In grade 12, Mrs. House granted me the Religion Award.

But I didn’t deserve it.

The Religion Award was supposed to go to the student with the highest grade in class.

I had high grades. But not the highest.

Years earlier, Mrs. House taught my grade 7/8 class at St. Francis de Sales. As a strong student, I garnered her favour and this carried through to our relationship in high school.

She taught religion class and although I spent a week in a hospital bed and underwent numerous operations on my right hand, missed weeks of school and had to learn to write with my left hand — all because of a car accident — I maintained excellent grades.

Mrs. House could see my pain. It was evident in the cast worn from the tip of my fingers to my elbow. She knew I struggled.

I believe she felt sorry for me and wanted to bless me by granting me the award.

But I wasn’t the only one in that car accident. My best friend, Monica, was driving. Although she suffered minor physical injuries, she had to deal with emotional and psychological trauma.

I didn’t earn the Religion Award. The student with the highest grades did.

Who should’ve won the award?

You guessed it. Monica.

She had the highest grades and deserved the honour. But because my pain and suffering were more evident than hers, the award was given to me.

Sadly, I believe that the person who would have benefitted more from the award was the same person who actually deserved it.

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