Redding School District

Partnership Educators,

Cal was an animal lover.  His house was virtually overrun with dogs, cats, and canaries.  Then one autumn some of Cal's friends in Mississippi got together and sent him the main course for a Thanksgiving dinner.  They sent it alive so it could be fresh when prepared for Cal’s table.  It wasn’t a turkey but a raccoon.  Cal took one look at the innocent black-masked face and it was love at first sight.  The little girl raccoon had charmed her way out of the stew pot and into Cal’s heart.  

Cal named her Rebecca.  Cal and Rebecca were a familiar sight in the neighborhood, especially in the evenings when the weather was pleasant and they went for walks.  It didn’t seem that a day went by without the two playing as if Rebecca was Cal’s child.  Rebecca had complete freedom to run through the house and she loved to play in a water-filled tub within Cal’s study.  Cal enjoyed watching Rebecca splashing about and playing with the soap suds created while she played.  Frequently Cal wore Rebecca around his neck like a furry necklace, and that was her ride as they walked about the house.  

Separations for them both were difficult.  When Cal’s business took him away for a few days both seemed to suffer.  Cal was especially fretful.   Then during one of those separations, Rebecca left home.  Cal was frantic.  He called the police who assured him that an officer was assigned to it but Cal insisted that as many as four officers should be dispatched to track down the ingenious Rebecca.  The four officers spent most of the night searching the neighborhood with flashlights when finally one of the men spotted two glowing eyes in a bush.  The beloved Rebecca was returned to the waiting Cal.  Rebecca was punished for her thoughtlessness by having to remain in the rest of the night in the basement.  But from most accounts, Cal missed her so much that he served most of the sentence with her in that same basement.

As owner and pet relationships go, I don’t know that the relationship that you just learned is particularly remarkable but it does give us a glimpse into the heart of someone.   A man more often remembered for what he did not say rather than for what he did say.  This quiet loving person was Calvin Coolidge and the house that Rebecca played in was none other than the White House.

Our work is often full of moments of fretting and worry for some of our students.  Certainly, President Coolidge had great gratitude for the relationship with his raccoon friend Rebecca and it came out in many different ways, through love and support.  

I have often mentioned the need for building an environment that supports those attitudes and behaviors that better serve all of our students.  Gratitude is an interesting phenomenon that can be a powerful tool.  Dr. Robert Emmons Professor of Psychology at U.C. Davis says, “Gratitude has the ability to heal, energize and transform lives.” Just modeling for and having children learn the art of being thankful and expressing that thankfulness can make people happier.  Often we focus on what is going wrong.  Helping our students wake up each day and be thankful can make their lives happier.  In fact, the act of us waking up each day and being thankful can transform our lives.

It reminds me of the affirmations that we ask students and adults to give to one another.  Creating this environment of thankfulness can, as Dr. Emmons says, “heal, energize and transform.”  I challenge us all to give a heartfelt affirmation to a student who is driving us crazy at the moment.  If being happy hinges on gratitude and thankfulness, then we will at least be happier for doing it.  In the end, we might model the behavior that we are seeking.  I am truly thankful for all of you and your efforts with our students.  

Let's also be thankful for and show our gratitude for our counselors during this appreciation week for counselors.  Thanks for their dedicated work with our kids.

For more information on developing gratitude in students go here.