A Dog Can Save Your Life

I was dreading many things today -- going into work, the heat of the first true summer day, my students and their need to be flakey on these last few weeks of school -- but the day provided me with some unexpected joy.

First, a girl in my class whose sister died last December finally shared the news with her two best friends AND wrote about it in a reflection letter on how she's grown and changed during the year. This is big because normally she avoids any mention of her sister's death, runs as far from us as she can if we show even the slightest affection (appropriate affection that is) towards her, and has yet to share her sorrow with anyone close to her including family. Her letter brought me to tears. "I have grown in this past year, but I can't exactly explain how. My sister died and that just put all these emotions in my belly and now I can't get them out."

Second, the play the kids are working on is finally, FINALLY coming together and their performance may actually be a success instead of the failure I kept envisioning in the wee morning hours.

Lastly, Mr. Rubin, the dog who teaches me something every day, frolicked raucously this afternoon, happy as a clam (though actually happy as a puppy) and made me smile with his many poses for the camera.

Silly dog.

Silly dog who saves my life in a million ways every five minutes.

Now I shall settle down into this Friday evening by watching "Juno," which Ann insists will lift my spirits even more.

More photos of Rubin on the Rubinations link...