Jayla (not her real name) is one of the shyest students at Bishop Maginn High School. When I asked her name, she looks away and can barely speak. Her teachers say she rarely talks.

This is one reason why Sue Silverstein asked her to help her take care of Zinnia today. At the same time, I was listening to the new school choir and meeting with school officials about the new Amazon Bishop Maginn Regent’s Review Wish List, going up on the blog later tonight (the list is already up if you want a head start. The books must be purchased new for reasons I’ll explain then).

As part of my socializing plans for Zinnia, I let other people take care of her for short periods. She needs to trust people if she’s going to get close to them, and they need to trust her.

Zinnia follows me everywhere I go, but she didn’t blink when Sue and Jayla walked away with her and took her on a tour of the school – the office, the classrooms, the gym.

Zinnia opened up to her, crawled up tail wagging, licked her gently, and listened to when she took her leash and began walking her around the school. Sue went with them, and Jayla took Zinnia to the cafeteria and the gym, where Zinnia tried to chase after the basketball and join the game.

I watched as Jayla asked her to sit, and she was shocked when she did, and then I taught her how to tell Zinnia to lie down and stay, and she did both for Jayla.

Zinnia seemed to grasp this young woman’s initial unease, and just followed her, and loved her,  and when I went to check on them, Jayla was smiling, proud of herself, she kept kneeling with Zinnia to talk to her, pet her hold her.

She had changed in just those few minutes, Sue and I could both see it.

I decided not to use her full name until I make sure she understands about the blog and the Internet, in the hour she was with Zinnia I could see her confidence grow. She had never had a dog, never been this close to one.

Zinnia acted as if Bishop Maginn was her home; she went eagerly Jayla, and Sue walked away with her, she showed no anxiety of any kind, loved the movement and activity and attention.

She was curious about the school, happy to be with the kids, loving the attention, getting love, giving love.

She left a lot of smiles in her wake. And isn’t that the point?

This filled my heart with satisfaction, even joy. This is what I wished for Zinnia, why I got her. This is what a therapy dog can do.  Lighten up a world that sometimes seems dark, especially for these kids.

She makes people feel good, they smile when they see her, they trust her, and she responds to their need and attention as true therapy dogs will.

I asked Jayla if she would work with me on training Zinnia further for therapy work, and I could see how pleased she was. It was a great afternoon for me at Bishop Maginn