A Dog’s Life

With so much turmoil, political discord, and violence in the world, a very caring teacher decided to dialogue with her sixth graders each morning before the day’s lessons. As you would expect, one morning, the discussions turned to the children’s dreams and ambitions for their future. One girl, whose family was greatly affected by the Pandemic, explained that she would like to become a doctor, so she could help people just like the doctors did for her grandfather when he was hospitalized with the virus. A boy said he would like to be a psychologist because they help kids understand things like bullying, depression, and healthy friendships. And then came the turn of a kind and thoughtful young girl. The teacher braced herself because she knew how deeply world events had affected this student. “If I could choose to be anything,” the girl began, “I’d be a dog. They don’t have to wake up scared every morning; all they want to do is love you.”