Sharing my story about bullying

When I was a child my father worked for AT&T, we moved every one to two years. for his job and it was very hard to make and keep friends,once we became comfortable we would have to say "goodbye.'
 My family is multicultural, and my brother and I are both adopted.
 My adopted father was Filipino(he passed away in 1978) and so is my adopted brother. I remember times we would go to the grocery store in Sepulveda  California with my mother,my brother and I were about 2 and 7.Ladies would come up to my mother and say things like"Oh are you babysitting today?"  my mother would reply "No this is my son" the ladies would have some rude comment ,this made my mother very unhappy, we would end our shopping trips then and there.In the same city the phone would ring at night  grown adults calling making crude ethnic sounds on the phone..This was my first memory of bullying.
I couldn't understand why people would do such cruel things,we were taught that everyone was created equal and that you were loved and accepted for who you were.
Later as a child we lived in Massachusetts, my brother and I were older,we would play together sometimes on the playground,kids would tell me" that's not your brother,stop lying" He and I had a pact that we would defend and be there for each other no matter what anyone would say. Also in third grade I had a girl slap my face for not sharing my lunch with her,to make matters worse she said if  I told my mom I would get it for sure. The bad thing was my mother and her mother were friends and I would be dropped off at their house after school once in a while.. Kids would pick on me a lot because I had short hair,they would call me a boy and I remember crying quite often.I am forty eight and that still has an impact on me. That's why I want to help children get through the meanness and calm everyone else s fears. I am learning that talking about our experiences and sharing them with others brings us healing. 

Why therapy dogs in the classroom?

   I am about to push the issue of therapy dogs  being allowed in the classroom. I understand fully about fears of allergies and distractions but I feel the good weighs out the bad.
  Studies have been shown that by bringing dogs into the classroom it may help children to enhance the capacity to form close relationships with each other. That certain emotions bring with them a racing heart or neurological impulse that signals the brain.
 Think about a child who is fearful of speaking out loud, by simply petting a dog it may give him or her a sense of security and his or her classmates a feeling of joy.We may have excellent teachers,the perfect classroom settings but no one interviews each child to see if they are compatible.
 I know from personal experience when my daughter(who has mild aspergers) was in school in second grade if someone whispered while looking at her she got upset. "Were they talking about her? or just telling each other a funny joke?" Dogs can give us a sense of self worth and calmness.They alone know how the rules go in interacting with each other, there are no exceptions only order.
 They don't look at each other and say"oh look how dirty marshals face  is lets not play with him today." They go and lick Marshal's face, jump to his side and encourage him to play.
Why dogs in the classroom? why not? Anything to break the ice to encourage unity, the classroom can be like a big party fun but full of strangers Unless you are  an extrovert this is like a pit of sand and you will sink at any moment.
 I am about to start researching and writing a book about bullying and the use of therapy dogs to break the cycle. If you have a story about you or a family member that was bullied I would like to hear from you.
My email is jssrl123@msn.com  NO SPAM MAIL  please!  This is a serious venture and a chance for you to help  make a difference. Thank You