A Joyous Event
As always, I had a nice weekend overall. Friday night was wings and game night. On Saturday we went to the gym then had a little gathering in the evening (southern style: fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, fried ocra, tater tots)….and two Carvel ice cream cakes! Randy did the cooking and asked that other people bring dessert. For a gathering of only 7 people, we ended up with two Carvel ice cream cakes (yay – leftovers).
But, without trying to insult my friends, the most memorable part of the weekend was, surprisingly, Sunday. You see, my brother invited me to a graduation ceremony for my sister-in-law’s service dog. Yep, a graduation for a dog.
The bitter, cynical ass in me must admit that I went into this thing skeptically…imagining a hokey gathering of dogs walking on stage to pick up doggie treats shaped like diploma scrolls. My assumptions couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The event was coordinated by NEADS, an organization that trains service dogs for disabled people. It began with the audience (hundreds of people, I might add) doing the pledge of allegiance – something I don’t think I’ve done since junior high school.
The first two recipients were two Iraq war veterans. Both had been injured in combat; one was confined to a wheelchair, the other was a double leg amputee. They both came on stage and spoke about their experiences. Already, my eyes were beginning to water.
As the ceremony went on, we heard from various people whose lives have changed as a result of their new service dogs (deaf people, people with muscular distrophy, people with Asperger’s, people recovering from accidents, etc…). It was so inspirational.
One gentleman suffered from weakness in his right side that caused him to be frequently get pushed down even in the smallest of crowds if somebody bumped into him. He started off with a humorous story, but ended up completely breaking down into tears (along with most of the audience who all then erupted in applause).
A 13 year old girl in a wheelchair spoke about finally feeling confident enough to go in public now that people stop staring at her and focus on the dog.
And Heidi (my sister-in-law’s) dog, Mercury, is the most handsome black labrador. He accompanied her on stage (she was in her wheelchair) and she spoke of hoping to re-enter the work force next year, assisting other people suffering from disabilities (her background is as a registered nurse).
What an inspirational event this was. I’m so glad I went (Randy came, and also choked up at times).
Anyway, I don’t normally do this….but here’s a link to the organization.
http://www.neads.org/about_us/client_view.php?id=117
Specifically, it’s a link to my sister-in-law’s page on their website. They are always taking donations (and as a non-profit with no government funding, they can use the help). It costs up to $20,000 to train a dog, so they function completely on volunteerism and donations. To donate specifically to Heidi’s dog, follow the link to the right of the photo.
Thanks!
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Great story about the dog graduation. As one of your ice cream cake eating friends, I’m not insulted. I can’t compete with cute animals that help people so faithfully. I hope Mercury helps your sister-in-law to live her life to the fullest.
Yay, Mercury!
Great post, Snarl. Thanks for the link.