The teacher often told the children about her dog, and therefore she could not help but inform about his death, and about her difficult memories of her beloved pet.
On the same day, she received an incredible letter from one of the students.
Gemma Dunn from Scotland works as a fifth grade teacher at the school. She sometimes told all her students stories from the life of her dog Charlie, a golden retriever.
Recently, Charlie started having health problems. An examination by a veterinarian revealed an inoperable tumor. The dog had to be put down.
When Gemma came to work, she realized that she should not hide what had happened from the children, and told them everything.
«They saw that I was upset, and I had to explain everything to them. They knew Charlie because I talked about him so often, showed a lot of photos and videos,» says Gemma.
Of course, the children were also upset about Charlie’s death. But one of the students, nine-year-old Callum, decided that their teacher needed support.
By the end of the school day, Gemma received a letter from him: a poem dedicated to her dog.
«Mrs. Dunn, I’m sorry if this doesn’t please you or upset you. Your dog was special. He’s in a better place right now and watching you,» Callum’s message reads.
Gemma decided to read the letter at home. That day she couldn’t wait to be alone with her feelings.
«When I read it myself, and then with my family, tears finally came to me,» she says.
Gemma’s 20-year-old daughter, Lucy, was so moved by the boy’s act that she posted a photo of the letter on her microblog.
«The strangest thing is that people wrote to me as if they knew Charlie,» Gemma says.
«He was just our big beloved dog, and suddenly the world found out who he was. People sympathized.»
