Linda Graduates 5th Grade
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a special graduation story.
Because you know that every year, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and teachers gather together to celebrate students as they walk across the stage. But earlier this year, Orange City Elementary in Florida had a special friend to recognize; a 4-year-old yellow Labrador named Linda. This wonderful Lab retriever works as a service animal to Rachel, a fifth grader with spina bifida. For over two years, they have been inseparable. Every day, Rachel and her four-legged friend, Linda, go to school together. If Rachel drops her pencil, Linda the dog is right by her side, ready to pick it up. This cute Lab opens doors for Rachel and accompanies her around the school yard – I mean she does everything. Her canine companion has become such a friend for Rachel, her best friend. What’s more, the rest of the kids have grown to love Linda, as well.
As you can imagine, having a dog in the classroom has brought much joy and fun to the rest of the kids in Rachel’s class. Of course, her classmates know that Linda is a service dog. That means while Linda is at work helping Rachel, other kids can’t go up and pet her. But when Linda takes a break from serving Rachel, she gets to play with everyone else. And boy, have the rest of the students benefitted from that dog, and Rachel’s friendship. When test day comes around, Rachel’s teacher has noticed that the children experience less test anxiety while having a dog nearby. What’s more, when Rachel’s classmates see her and her dog, they’re no longer focusing on their differences (like Rachel’s wheelchair or spina bifida), they focus on their similarities (everyone has a love for dogs, right?) Besides, how cool is it that Rachel gets to go to school with her dog? Come on, that’s just wonderful.
And because Linda the service dog has become such an integral part of Rachel’s learning experience, Orange City Elementary School thought the pup deserved a place in their school yearbook, right next to her buddy Rachel. But that wasn’t all. The school’s principal awarded Linda with a plaque of honor for her years of dedicated service to their school. Like I said, everybody at this elementary school benefits from the presence of this very special Labrador retriever. And with a big smile and wagging tail, Linda even walked across the graduation stage with Rachel. It was a ceremony this school will never forget!
In Genesis when God looked over all He had created like, well… yellow Labrador retrievers, He saw that is was “very good.” Yes, God is pleased with all His creation and Linda the service dog is no exception. Psalm 150 says, “Let everything that has breath (that includes even helpful canines like this one, even service dogs), Praise the Lord!” So join me in honoring Assistance Dog Week by clicking on Joniradio.org to see a photo of Rachel’s service dog, Linda. And help us celebrate Assistance Dog Week by Tweeting us your favorite photo of a service dog or posting it on our Joni and Friends Facebook page. Then tell us about your service dog. And hey, if you know someone with a disability, perhaps a wheelchair user who could benefit from having a trained service animal, then check out our resources page at joniandfriends.org. There are plenty of organizations that train good animals to provide practical help to people with disabilities, and we’d like to put you in touch with those groups. So, it’s one way to celebrate National Assistance Dog Week. Again, the video, the resources and the photo all of it is right there at joniradio.org. God bless you today, and thanks for listening to Joni and Friends.
© Joni and Friends
