Vote for Innovation
Family matters. I am a proud Tanta and Auntie. My four nieces and three nephews are among the loves of my life. My first words to each of them were “I loved you before I knew you.” My promise to each of them is that I will love them as they come to know themselves.
Children coming to know themselves is holy work. The space I hold for children in my family and through Learn Play Grow is sacred.
I strive for my words and my actions to affirm for children and model for adults that they are seen, heard, valued, and understood.
Speaking of affirming that we are all seen, heard, valued, and understood, my niece and I voted together four years ago. We talked about what we stand for, and we championed the power of finding our our voice and casting our vote. We went from the polling place to Three Brothers’ Bakery to get a treat to celebrate later. I never imagined how late later would be.
My niece chose her favorite meal for dinner and good fortune. The vote counts came in as she “taught” me how to use chopsticks and we sounded out the big words in our fortunes. As a brilliant second grader, my niece new which numbers were bigger. I tried to explain the popular vote and the electoral college, and her eyes got wider and wider as the numbers went up.
When I brought her home and we said the bedtime prayer together, I dreamed that she would wake to a new America. I did not sleep that night. Over and over I asked myself how I could show my niece, my students and their families, and the neurodiverse community I support that they are seen, heard, valued, and understood. How could I empower when I felt powerless?
Over the last four years, I have learned that power is best when it is shared. I have stepped outside of fractured systems and created new ways to serve young children with diverse abilities and collaborate with their families, teachers, and therapists.
The power to feel seen, heard, valued, and understood comes from connecting, communicating, and learning with confidence. I created Learn Play Grow to build that confidence and more through parent coaching, play-based learning, and developmental support at home, at school, and in the community.
As a testament to how much she has learned, played, and grown, my niece called me on election night to interview me for a school report on voting. I smiled inside and spoke my truth. Then I held my breath...for four days.
I wasn’t certain what would happen, but this time I was certain what I could do. I could continue collaborating with teams of families, teachers, and therapists to build on each other’s strengths and help children experience success beyond anyone’s imagination.
This weekend I exhaled and I brought my niece (and nephew) a sweet treat to celebrate, similar to the treat we picked out four years ago to save for later.
Later is NOW. Let’s make the most of this and every opportunity, or better yet, let’s create new opportunity. The possibilities for learning, playing, and growing are limitless!
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