Greetings from Winfield City Schools,
Hello, my name is No. Some who have the privilege of having pets or small children in their care can relate to this message. This is Brody. He is (currently) our example of what it is like to be a grandparent. We had the joy of keeping him for a long weekend recently. It was interesting for a couple of empty nesters (about 15+ years now) to have this little guy in our care for a few days.
Brody is a combination of chocolate lab and Australian shepherd. He is a still a puppy and requires our full amount of attention. He is a smart dog, very affectionate, and hyperactive (any of this sound familiar?). At my daughter’s home, he is allowed to sleep with her. She brought a kennel and told us he could sleep in it (boy were we suckers for that line). To her credit, he is house broken as far as bathroom requirements, and in the rare instance he does have an accident, he will go in his kennel and not make a sound until he is allowed back out (usually 15 minutes). However, sleeping is another story. Let’s just say that he does not remain silent when put in the kennel for sleep. Guess who slept with us?
I thought about the weekend we had with Brody. We were completely exhausted by the end of the weekend. He required constant attention. Oh, I failed to mention just how smart he is. Each time he needs to go to the bathroom, he goes to a door and sits and looks at you. He figured out rather quickly that each time he sat by our door that he was going outside. To his credit, he would take care of business. We would go back inside and say, “Good Boy Brody. Sit. Shake.” He would oblige each command and receive a treat. This process is how our daughter has trained him.
Old age has made me soft. The one time he had a urinary error, I was instructed to put his nose in it. I did, and he let a loud whine. He was then to be put in the kennel for 15 minutes (as I mentioned earlier). Brody never made a sound. I, on the other hand, was watching the clock for 15 solid minutes waiting to get him out of the kennel because it was hurting my heart for him to be in there. Guess what? He didn’t make that mistake again. I was more like his father than his friend. Do you see where this is going?
How many of our readers will not do the necessary measures to instill that love and discipline (even when it hurts) in order to help our children (or pets) become a better person? How many does it not hurt at all and lash out in anger rather than nurturing with love? It is the difference between ish and less. What? Put self in front of those words. Are we selfish or selfless? It is exhausting being a parent/caregiver, but the return on the investment is worth the struggle.
We are copartners in molding the fabric of our boys and girls, working together to see that they have the best opportunity to be successful. It is not an easy job. You get them for the majority of the time, and we have them for a few hours each week day for about 10 months. This continues for about 13 years (on our part). It is my hope that, as we near the end of the school year and approach the summer break, you invest in your children with the less and not the ish. The struggle is worth the reward.