I remember when I turned 21, I finally had the wherewithal and courage to apologize to my parents for how I acted when I was a teenager. Admittedly, I acted pretty spoiled. They were strict and did a great job raising me, but that doesn't mean that I didn't give them a hard time. If I could go back in time and see how I acted, I'd be absolutely mortified.
I did volunteer work and got involved in many after school organizations, but my primary concern was making myself look good for college applications.
There's a stereotype of the average teenager as being whiny, rude, and bratty. They're not children, but they aren't quite adults either.
There are definitely many young people out there who disprove the teenage stereotype every day, they just don't get the same amount of attention, unfortunately.
Garret Kalkus of Chehalis, WA is one such young person who went out of his way to help out another soul in need…
When you finish reading about Garret, please SHARE his story.
Garret Kalkus stayed by this dying dog's side for hours to make sure he wasn't alone.
Garret was biking near his home when he saw a poor beaten and broken dog lying by the side of the road. He seemed to be dying and had clearly been terribly abused.
Garret abandoned his bike by the side of the road to carry the dog nearly a mile and a half to his home. He wanted to make sure that he could do everything in his power to see that the dog was nursed back to health.
He and his father drove the dog to a nearby vet, and Garret waited for hours to see the outcome of the dog's fate.
One of the Purple Heart Rescue's employees wrote on their Facebook wall, "When I met Garret and his father at the vet's, my heart broke seeing the condition of this sweet soul. I immediately started to get angry and looked into Garret's eyes and saw nothing but compassion and hope. Garret was my teacher today."
The veterinarian, Dr. Brandy Fay, did everything in her power to save the dog, but sadly, the dog was too far gone to be saved.
This story might have a sad ending, but people like Garret can give us all hope for the future.
Please SHARE the story of this inspiring young man with friends.
