Below is an excerpt of an e-mail I received from my friend Vicki who works as a massage therapist in the St. Louis area. She received her guide dog Watson from Guiding Eyes for the Blind too, almost a year ago. In chatting about our dogs, Vicki wrote these words, which touched my heart and sent my mind spinning toward this blog post:
"I know what you mean about having a dog that just makes things possible for you. Watson has given me the confidence I needed to be able to think that I could go out in the real world. ... For me it was huge to re-enter the work force. I did it before when I was just blind but never as a deafblind person. I couldn't have done it without Watson. He gave my feet their wings. ... He has given me something that I don't have words for. ... Even though he's not perfect, in my eyes, he is perfectly made for me. If Watson were a person, you would say he has the kindest heart ever. He is just so kind to me. Okay, sorry for gushing about him. I think you get it it because from the sounds of things, you are quite taken with Mr. Nacho and he has won your heart for sure. Isn't it wonderful to be in love with your man? It's like, okay, thank you, buddy, for being by my side and I know no matter what happens today, we can make it through this and you will keep me feeling grounded and calm."
Watson is exactly what Vicki needed to propel her into the next phase of her life, back out in the working world. Seeing as approximately 70% of people with visual impairments are unemployed, this is no small feat, not even considering that Vicki's hearing is compromised too. This dog is right for the time in her life when she needs a kind, gentle dog, just as Nacho is right for this time in my life when I need a calm, resilient dog. Both of us have had other dogs who were right for those other times in our lives. Even the imperfect behaviors or working weaknesses of our past dogs (all dogs have them) were somehow exactly what we needed at that point in our lives, either to trust or to learn from--or both.
I visited a classroom this week where sophomores were learning about literary terms tied to stories: plot, character, setting, etc. These were sophomores who had been through a specific freshman program aimed to support them after a turbulent middle school experience. The current English teacher I observed is gifted at knowing how to reach them in their unique circumstances, speaking with respect and authority in a way that had the classroom captivated and engaged.
The most telling moment, though, was when one student asked a question that might have derailed the entire lesson. After a discussion about how a cottage is different from a cabin or a house, the student asked, "Is cottage cheese named because of a cottage?" Deliberate distraction? Wandering mind? Attempt to induce laughter? Who knows. The teacher chose to assume the question was spurred by curiosity, so she responded with thoughtful, reflective comments and ended the strand of dialogue with a "something we can investigate further" remark.
I contend that this teacher is exactly right for this student at this point in his education. He has struggled through middle school, been reequipped with tools of inquiry in the specialized freshman program, and now landed in the classroom of a teacher who won't crush or judge his questioning but instead will support and guide it. Just like Watson being the giver of courage to Vicki and Nacho being the giver of stability to me, this teacher in that cottage cheese moment was the giver of validation to a young man who needs exactly that. The perfect answer!
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Photo of Vicki and Watson