The Servant at the Door
Asked to call a servant who had been killed, Rebbi Chanina found a way to spare both the king's feelings and his honor.
It is told that the Roman ruler Antoninus used to visit Rebbi in secret, and he asked that no one else be present when he came. One day he arrived and found Rebbi Chanina bar Chama sitting there. He reminded Rebbi of his request. Rebbi answered that this was not an ordinary person; he was like an angel, and there was nothing to fear from him.
Antoninus then turned to Rebbi Chanina and asked him to wake the servant sleeping at the entrance and send him in.
Rebbi Chanina went to the door and found that the servant had been killed. He stood there and thought. If he went back and told the king that his servant was dead, he would be bringing bad news, and a person should not be the bearer of distressing tidings. Yet if he simply walked away and left the matter, he would be treating the king's request with disrespect.
So he did neither. He prayed to Hashem for mercy, the servant came back to life, and Rebbi Chanina sent him in to Antoninus.
Antoninus understood what had happened. He said to Rebbi that he knew even the least among them could bring the dead back to life. But still, he asked, when I come, let no one be here with you, not even a man as great as Rebbi Chanina bar Chama.
Source: Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 10b
Sometimes it seems you must choose between hurting someone and being disrespectful to them. Before you choose, stop and look for a third path, as Rebbi Chanina did. If you must share hard news this week, think first about how to say it gently, at the right time, and with a solution in hand. A short tefillah before a difficult conversation can open a way you did not see.