A happy note from a graduate

This morning, I had a doctor’s appointment at the local hospital.  While we were waiting to be called back, a little boy who couldn’t have been more than three came walking through the door with his mom and lit up as soon as he saw Kyle.  He was shy and didn’t exactly know what to think about the big black dog sitting on the floor at my feet but he and his mom sat down close to us.

Over the next minutes, the little boy slowly got up the courage to ask if he could pet Kyle. I put Kyle in a down-stay and the little boy slowly walked, then crawled, over to Kyle and stroked his head. Kyle gave the little boy a kiss on the hand and the whole room fell silent as we watched them interact.  The boy, intrigued by Kyle, lay next to him on the floor and pet his ears, head and paws. Kyle was in heaven. He was so calm and sweet. When the little boy and his mother started to put their coats on to leave, Kyle whimpered a little and watched them walk out the door.

The room erupted with chatter of the sweetness everyone had just witnessed. When I was taken back for my appointment, the nurse even mentioned how neat it was to watch Kyle’s interaction with the little boy from a distance. Other people stopped me and commented on how wonderful a dog I had and how well-mannered he is.

Kyle seems to have that effect on everyone he meets. He has brought an independence to my life I had been missing and he fosters connections with the general public that haven’t truly happened for me in a very long time.

Thanks for the gift that keeps on giving!

by Guiding Eyes graduate Elaine Mara