Death of a pet, part four

Detour drowned in our swimming pool.  

There is no other way to say it. The bald facts are that my beloved, innocent little doggie  jumped or fell into the pool.  

After my  principal told me I couldn’t bring Detour to school anymore, I started leaving him home with our older Lab, Batman, during the day. Shea Middle school was only blocks away from my home, so I often went home for lunch and one day, when I arranged to meet my hubby there, I got the shock of my life. 

When Art and the dogs weren’t in the house, I went outside searching for them and saw that Art was using the pool scoop.  At first I thought he was cleaning out leaves, but then I noticed the grief on his face and I realized he was fishing Detour’s inert body out of the pool.  Art laid him on the grass and he and I and Batman stood around him in stunned silence.  Art and I fell into each others and arms and sobbed.

Since I was due back at school, I tried to contain my grief.  Once I got back to school, however, after leaving Art to deal with the situation, I could not hold it together and as my students began filing in, I burst out screaming and crying and I just couldn’t stop.  When I managed to tell them what had happened, they all began to cry too and someone went to get help from  the prinicpal.  She found a substitute to take my class and I went to an empty classroom, thinking I would be able to calm down and return to work the following period, but I just could not stop crying.  After school, students kept pouring into the classroom giving me hugs and condolences and some stayed with me until I was in shape to drive home. 

  The healing process after this loss was very slow.  I thought a lot about Detour’s brief and shining life and once I realized he had done more in the year he had existed that most dogs do in their entire life, I was somewhat consoled. His effervescent little self was indelibly printed on the minds of so many students and he had lit up the lives of several people he had visited in care homes for the elderly. He had also given our family, including  Batman, much joy. 

Here is one of of my favorite humans, my Mom and my favorite pet:

I conclude by sharing  WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE:

1. Twelve to fourteen year olds, who often seem so disengaged, have sweet and tender souls. The outpouring of love I received from my students, the many letters, cards, pictures (even a copper bas relief of Detour from one boy) are healing to this day. 
2.   I realize how important it is to live each moment to the fullest, as Detour did. 
3. I realize that when someone is inconsolable with grief, they may need to be alone for awhile to process that grief, but will need a loving community to support them.
4.   I realize how important it is to fence swimming pools, which we did after this incident.