My sister and I had a little Toy Fox Terrier named KoKo when we were kids. He was a nervous little guy who flew under the sofa every time my dad sneezed. Years later I still think of Koko a lot. His name is frequently mentioned in conversations I have with my sister. My mother even had KoKo as a password on her alarm system. Even though she claimed to not like dogs, KoKo was very fond of her. In fact, she was his favorite human.
KoKo taught me that it's possible to make a lifelong impression on others without meaning to do so. Every word spoken or any action taken might just stay with another person forever. Even pictures and written words can live on in another person's memory. We had other dogs when we were kids, but KoKo was the one that created most of the memories. I think it's because he just tried so hard and had a determined personality. I have to say he was a dogged dog.
Random acts of kindness also stay with people forever. It's too bad that we sometimes have to get old to understand this. I see students who are so mean to each other without realizing that their behavior might leave a lasting, unhappy memory. An idea occurred to me that maybe schools could have a system where kids could turn in the names of other students who do or say something nice to them. There could be drawings for special privileges for those students who go out of their way to be a friend to others.
I'm sure there are programs like this and that it's not an original idea, but I'm putting it out there anyway. KoKo taught me that it's okay to be human.:)
