"Paws" for Thought: Caring

Not too long ago, during the Winter Olympics in Sochi (Russia), I heard about some Olympic athletes who had started adopting stray dogs which were, apparently, in abundance in the general area. Hence, "Paws" for Thought.

I reflected, after reading a news report about it, on how great that idea was and how it would help to demonstrate the importance of looking after vulnerable animals such as these.

We have to remember though, that there are millions of people doing caring things every moment of every day. The important thing, I think, is to recognise that fact, and thank or in some way, appreciate those who care for us and about us, but who never get reported in the papers or television news.

I'm not necessarily thinking about only family members - they're super important obviously. I'm thinking about the person who drives the taxi safely so you get to your destination on time, or the bus driver who waits patiently with a smile while the family with two crying toddlers juggle prams, bags and bus tickets as they board.

It wasn't too long ago the Year 5 teachers asked our classes to think about who helped them while they were on their last vacation. It was great to see how many of our children actually recognised the fact that lots of people helped them from restaurant staff to airport staff and many, many more. Even if we weren't always sure what they had to do, we always knew what they had done to help us.

So, we need to keep in mind that, while great acts of kindness are super, sometimes the ones we appreciate the most are the smaller ones that never get reported and sometimes overlooked.

So, thinking about your learning, take a minute to reflect on the variety of people who cared about you in some way today.


Image Credit: Kristina Alexanderson