As I drove toward the vet clinic last week, I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen. At 14, my cat was old, and now she was so sick she had trouble walking. At the stoplight I dug in my purse for a Kleenex.

Dr. Jim, a former student, listened to her heartbeat, checked her eyes, and turned to me. We’d had a long talk the last time she was sick. He explained that treatment would be very expensive, and he couldn’t promise a successful outcome. “I think it’s time to make the tough call.” There was a long pause. I nodded.

It didn’t take long, but I went through several more Kleenex. Leah the technician, also a former student, wrapped her in a thick towel and gently put her back in her carrier for me. Dr. Jim said a few kind words and left.

Leah offered to carry Kitty out to the car with me. As I gathered my things, she said, “I want you to know something. You are the reason I love Jane Austen novels.”

It was so sweet of her that I started crying all over again. I gave her a hug and we headed out the door.

As I drove home, I thought about what it means to be part of a community. Years ago, they were the ones who needed my help. Now I needed theirs. When I wonder about my legacy as a teacher, I can point to moments like that.

Because the saying is true — it takes a whole village, not just to raise a child, but also to affirm a lifetime of choosing again, every fall, to return to the work we love. I’ll remember that every time I look at the condolence card that arrived today, signed by everyone at the clinic.

Posted Thu, 22 May 2008 00:01:50 and filed under Education. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.