DEAR ABBY: I need help. I am a middle school drama teacher. Five years ago, one of my eighth graders and a friend snuck out late at night during a sleepover. While attempting to cross an interstate highway, my student was struck by a car and killed.
A few days ago, as I was clearing space off an old external hard drive, I found a 90-second video of my deceased student doing a play audition a couple of months before her demise. It is a middle close-up (waist to head) and very clear. It's probably one of the last videos of her with such high quality. My question is, five years after her funeral, should I reach out to her parents or would that be too painful for them? -- REACHING OUT
DEAR REACHING OUT: I'm glad you asked. Contact the parents, tell them about your discovery and ask whether they would like to have it. I would be very surprised if they didn't. They will probably regard it as an unexpected gift.