Texas high school teacher, Caleb Henson, received a heartwarming welcome from his students after being absent from the school following tragic losses in his life.
Henson was absent from the Orange, Tex. school for four months as he grieved the death of his mother, wife, and newborn child, who all passed away within six weeks in 2021. The unfortunate sequence of events happened to him after he graduated with his master’s degree in May of that year.
He typically shared his classroom experiences on the popular social media app, TikTok, where he amassed a following of over 13,000 users, but he took a break from doing so after suffering through the traumatic events.
“Sometimes I feel lost, sometimes [I] feel alone, sometimes angry, sometimes depressed, sometimes crying and even sometimes okay: but LIVING! What would have taken others out or locked up in padded walls, God has trusted me with,” he wrote in a very lengthy Facebook post on Dec. 31, 2021.
He added that he was looking forward to 2022, despite having a very somber year.
“I’ve made some mistakes along the way, and will again I’m sure, but me and my mother in love talked one day, and we agreed: We still have a life to live,” Henson said. “As I close this painful chapter of 2021, I’m still believing that God will give me beauty for ashes for 2022!”
When he finally returned to the classroom in January, he recorded his students’ reactions, which were a mix of joy and excitement, and uploaded it to TikTok.
“What’s up TikTok? It has been a long time since I’ve posted anything with my students, and that’s because I haven’t been to work. My mom, my wife, and our newborn child all passed away within a six-week time span,” he said. “So, I haven’t been to work in over four months. Today is my first day back at work with my students and so, I’m gonna record their reaction and we’ll see how it goes.”
@hensonshow My kids were happy to see me. Out of work for 4 months due to all the losses. #OscarsAtHome #teachersoftiktok #hensonshow #fypage ♬ original sound – Caleb Henson
As each student filed in, they smiled extra hard, giggled, and asked the music teacher how he was doing. One student’s mouth even dropped in shock as she put rested her backpack down and walked toward her seat.
“I can’t talk,” she said as her face turned cherry-red.
Others screamed with excitement and ran toward their beloved teacher for a hug.
“After over FOUR MONTHS at home, Mr. Henson is finally back in the classroom,” he wrote with a photo of himself smiling against a vibrant school backdrop on Jan. 10. “Apparently, my students have missed me just as much as I’ve missed them.”
On Feb. 27 he gushed about his students via another post on the social media platform.
“I just overheard a student telling another student about me: ‘I just love seeing him happy!’ I have some amazing kids y’all. With all the others leaving education, I’m here to stay.”
