“Good Dog; Good Deeds”
Dear Teacher,
Last September, my family and I did a New York City trip for Fall Break. As part of our sightseeing, we visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum, filled with twisted steel girders and mutilated emergency vehicles. Among all the wreckage artifacts and memorabilia, a hero stood out to me: Bretagne. She was an easy-going Golden Retriever. Having two of my own, I chuckled at her familiar character traits: Dutiful and obsessed with food. But Bretagne wasn't like my two dogs at home. She was a hero.
Bretagne's owner and trainer, Denise Corliss, a Texan firefighter, brought her to Ground Zero while the rubble was still hot. Bretagne went straight to work. She worked for 10 days solid and never quit. She napped onsite. Denise recalls: “...There are images of Bretagne going to where she was directed to search, into the unknown, the chaotic environment. But even then, she knew who needed the comfort of a dog, and which firefighter needed to hold her close and stroke her fur.”
After 9/11, Bretagne continued her heroic efforts. She helped in recovery after Hurricane Katrina. She became a reading dog at the local elementary school. She visited students with Autism and looked them in the eye. At age 16, after a life well-lived, Bretagne was one of the last 9/11 rescue dogs still alive.
On June 7, 2016, with a failing kidney, Bretagne hobbled into the Cypress, Texas, animal hospital for her scheduled 'final sleep.' However, that sunny Monday wasn't a sad one, but rather a celebration of the lives she had touched -- the souls she had sought. On her final walk, she passed hundreds of firefighters, first responders, and rescue workers who lined the sidewalks and road. This white-faced, elderly retriever, looked each one in the eyes and smiled as they each saluted her in honor of her tremendous impact: Seeking to rescue, one-by-one.
And you, Teacher, there in your classroom, perform a tremendous rescue mission, as well. You seek out the injured -- those with hurting hearts from homelife injuries. You perform recovery -- credit recovery from failed classes, reputation recovery from past mistakes, self-esteem recovery through your belief in them. You offer comfort through your presence -- a safe place for students to come to, learn in, and grow. And you celebrate kids by looking them in the eye, meeting their academic needs, and believing in them. Your rescue mission makes you a hero!
Standing on your "sidewalk" in gratitude,
Mindy
Christian Educator & School Counselor