Category: educational activities,

MY WIFE OF 51 YEARS PASSED AWAY—AND NO ONE WARNED ME WHAT GRIEF ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE

DogFeelings

I used to think grief was just sadness. A lot of crying, quiet mornings, maybe some old music that makes you tear up. But that’s not what it’s been like for me. Not even close. When Lorraine passed, it wasn’t loud. It was this slow, empty hush that moved into the house and never left. I still wake up at 6:15 every morning because that’s when she liked her tea. I still buy the same cereal she loved, forgetting she’s not going to be there to eat it. We were…

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THE COP PULLED ME OVER—I THOUGHT MY NIGHT WAS ABOUT TO GET WORSE

DogFeelings

It had already been a rough day. My shift ran late, my feet ached, and my stomach was empty. The bike I relied on was barely holding together, and I still had miles to go before I got home. Then, I saw the flashing red and blue lights. My chest tightened. I wasn’t doing anything wrong—was I? Maybe my busted bike didn’t have the right reflectors. Maybe someone reported me. Either way, I knew this wasn’t going to end well. I pulled over, gripping the handlebars, my mind racing. The…

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MY SON WAS ALWAYS SMILING ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL—BUT THEN HIS GESTURE STOPPED ME COLD

DogFeelings

This morning felt different. Riley was already wide awake when I came in, grinning like it was Christmas morning. That alone nearly broke me—because most days, getting him dressed, into his chair, and onto the special transport van takes more energy than I ever admit. But today, he was buzzing. “Today’s the day,” he kept saying, like it meant something more than the routine ride to school. When the van pulled up, the driver—Mr. Leary—helped us like always. Riley was all buckled in, his green chair locked down, his little…

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MY SON HAS A NEWBORN AT 15—BUT THAT’S NOT THE PART I’M STRUGGLING WITH

DogFeelings

When Zach texted me from school saying, “Can you come get me? It’s serious,” I never imagined this. He barely looked at me when he got in the car. Hands shaking. Hoodie half zipped like he’d rushed out of class. I tried to joke, ease the tension—asked if he’d failed a test or punched someone. He just said, “It’s not about me. It’s about her.” That’s how I found out. The baby wasn’t his girlfriend’s anymore. She’d walked away—literally, left the hospital discharge papers unsigned. And Zach? My video-game-addicted, awkward,…

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Bus Driver Stops Route for Cr.ying Boy

DogFeelings

It was a chilly Monday morning when Marcus, a veteran city bus driver with 22 years behind the wheel, noticed something unusual at his usual stop. A young boy, maybe ten or eleven, stood alone, his schoolbag slipping off his shoulder and his face streaked with silent tears. Marcus opened the door. “You alright, kid?” he asked gently. The boy didn’t answer right away. He just climbed aboard and sat near the front, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his too-small jacket. Marcus drove on, but something didn’t sit…

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I Fired a Single Mom for Being Late—then Found Out Why and Begged for Forgiveness

DogFeelings

I’ve been a manager for almost six years, and I always thought I was fair. Strict, maybe, but fair. Rules are rules, and if I make exceptions for one person, then where does it stop? That’s what I told myself when I fired Celia last week. She was late again—third time this month. Our policy is clear: three strikes, you’re out. She barely said a word when I called her into my office. Just nodded, grabbed her bag, and left without arguing. That should’ve been the first sign something was…

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THE OFFICER CAME BACK HOLDING A DUCKLING—BUT THE CALL WASN’T ABOUT A DUCK

DogFeelings

So here’s how it started: I was parked at the gas station, halfway through a lukewarm iced coffee, when this woman bursts out of the convenience store, waving her arms like she’d seen a ghost. She pointed across the street and just said, “It’s stuck. It’s making noise.” Before I could even ask what “it” was, she called 911. I figured maybe a cat or something? A few minutes later, Officer Merren shows up—the one everyone in town knows because she’s calm, super friendly, and used to handling everything from…

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WE TOOK A FAMILY PHOTO AT THE BEACH—BUT SOMEONE ELSE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE

DogFeelings

This was supposed to be the reset we needed. No screens, no news, just a day at Calusa Beach with our son, Ryder. We even left our phones in the glove box to really unplug. I remember thinking, finally, we looked like one of those happy beach postcards people send out with Christmas cards. And for a while, it really did feel perfect. Ryder was babbling, digging at the sand with a broken shovel like it was treasure, and Colby had that relaxed look I hadn’t seen on his face…

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SHE WALKED RIGHT UP TO THE COPS WITH HER FREEZER POP—AND HANDED THEM A NOTE FROM HER MOM

DogFeelings

It was almost 90 degrees out, and folks were gathered for the neighborhood block party. Music, food trucks, a bounce house barely holding itself together—typical summer scene. I was working the community outreach table with two officers, just trying to keep the vibe relaxed. No one wants to see a badge unless there’s a good reason. That’s when this little girl walked right up to us. Couldn’t have been more than three, maybe four. She had one of those melting freezer pops in one hand—blue raspberry or something—and a folded…

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My neighbor dug up my pond, and I taught him why you shouldnt cross an older woman

DogFeelings

At 74, I thought I’d seen it all—until I returned home one weekend to find my backyard pond, the heart of my home, filled with dirt. I’m Margaret, and I’ve lived in my cozy house for over twenty years. It’s where I raised three kids, where my seven grandkids play, and where every memory is wrapped around that beautiful pond my grandfather dug with his own hands. It wasn’t just a water feature—it was family history. Everything changed the day Brian moved in next door. From the moment he arrived,…

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