Compassion in our lives

Last night as I lay in my bed trying to sleep I woke to the sound of my dog crying.  I tried to keep sleeping with the hope that she would settle down and fall asleep.  Molly our dog came into our life around 13 years ago.  Her Pekingese personality has given us years of happiness.  This year her age really began to show.  She can no longer make it up the stairs.  After I realized that she was not going to settle down, I went downstairs to sit with her.  She was sitting at the bottom of the steps crying because she could not get up the stairs to be near us. 

Upon seeing me her tail began to wag.  I settled in to the couch to go back to sleep downstairs and keep her company.  She moved around a bit more, crying a little less and finding a comfortable spot to sleep.  She kept checking if I was still downstairs.  She is now partially blind and deaf, so she wanted to be sure I did not sneak back up the stairs.  I love this dog and though she may be getting ready to say goodbye, I am not sure I am. 

From the time I was a little girl I loved animals.  I love watching them in nature, I love starting at them at the zoo, I enjoy the many animal shows on tv and I have housed many a pet!  I have always been fascinated by animals. While I was not a fan of the snake who made his way into my house (twice!) a few weeks ago, that was mostly because of the surprise factor. 

We have had the most amazing experience at our school this past week.  In one of our school trees baby birds have hatched.  The teachers, students and many families have spent time watching these birds.  As you stand there you can see the momma bird repeatedly swoop in to feed the babies.  We have enjoyed sharing this experience with our students and our families.  This simple part of nature has brought us a surprising amount of joy, and it is an amazing opportunity to build an appreciation of nature amongst our students.  We have talked about our love of moms and their caretaking abilities, we have examined respect for the quiet the babies and the mom like during feeding and discussed the important role different animals play in our environment - just imagine how many bugs those hatchlings are eating! The nesting bird family has been an great opportunity for learning!

The other day a teacher walked by my office to mention that one of her students has no interest in the birds.  She doesn't particularly care for them or even like them or other animals.  This teacher loves animals and was pondering how can she help grow this student's appreciation of animals.  A healthy respect for nature and sense of caring for our environment is something we try to impart to our children. For a child that may not be so interested in animals or nature, it can be a wonderful challenge to figure out how to make the connection in their own language, and hopefully begin to build their sense of appreciation.  This little girl loves clothes so maybe bringing in some different stuffed animals and different little outfits is a way to begin.  After all, you don't get wool without sheep!  Creating a story with the stuffed animals and showing how they fit into the ecosystem of our world might be beneficial, and perhaps with this student "utility" is a place to start.  In the end, it may be that we do not create another animal lover. Not all people are the same.  But hopefully we can create the first bits of appreciation and understanding of the beautiful, complicated system in which we live.  We strive so that each child grows up to respect the animals in our world and have an understanding of how we are all connected.

As teachers and parents, an important habit is to take a minute and remind ourselves of the goals we hope to achieve.  Taking care of our world is a priority. Building this awareness is something we can easily integrate into our children's experiences - so long as we stay alert to the opportunities to do so.  As a parents, a teacher or as a mentor: talk less, listen attentively and find the ways to connect.