Library cat dons fatigues for Veterans Day
SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS
Patriotism and appreciation are in the air! On this Veterans Day, rather than say the pledge of allegiance in individual classrooms, our secondary students gathered in front of a huge flag in the hall for the pledge, the “Star Spangled Banner” and a moment of silence.
Our school email is full of thank-you’s to all veterans and soldiers and especially to those close to us…a teacher whose son is on his fifth deployment, a nurse who served in the Navy Medical Corps in the ’70’s.
Alex and I joined the secondary kids in the hall this morning. We then went to the library to put on his red-white-and-blue bandana. But, umm, it seems that his “bandana keeper” (that would be me) has lost it.
He had to settle for his army green bandana with the fatigue-print stars.
We soon had visitors. Our speech teacher brought in two of our littlest students, who are just 4 years old.
One has met Alex before and greeted him with a smile; the other, meeting him for the first time, whispered, “Hi, Alex.”
They brought a package of Alex’s favorite Dentabite treats. Eating lots of treats and getting all that petting put Alex in the mood for a nap.
As the day progressed, I read one class the book, I Am Patriotic, by Sarah Schuette. We are all grateful for our veterans and those now serving our country.
Susan Loesch has been the librarian at the Arkansas School for the Blind for 35 years and is on the board of Feline Rescue and Rehome. She started the library cat program about 10 years ago after much animal therapy research.
As a civilian who has the honor to serve those who have laid their lives on the line so that all of us can have the freedom we enjoy, I applaud Alex and the kids for their patriotic tribute. And his bandana keeper could not have come up with a more suitable substitute. She should see the veterans who walk around here, on the NLRVA campus, proudly donning their fatigues.
Susan M