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Hope & I chatted as we made our way to school. Hope brought up Brandon, a cute student in her class with Down syndrome.

“He talks like a baby. He makes little sounds. &, Mom, he’s so so so cute, I just want to squeeze him.”

“You should give him a hug.”

“We have to keep our hands to ourselves.”

“That makes sense.”

“He doesn’t talk or count.”

“Ya know, doll, he was born with Down Syndrome. That means that his brain developed & then sorta stopped at a certain age. He tries so hard to say what he wants to say, but the words don’t come out the way he wants them to. I bet he gets pretty frustrated when that happens. He says things, but they sound different to you & me.”

“I feel sorry for him, Mom.”

Our kids don’t need pity, they need empathy & empowerment. They need to be seen & heard & we are to be witnesses of who they are. We are called to make others count by making space for all.

“Ya know, it is probably pretty frustrating to want to say what you are thinking, but are unable to do so. You could just go up & talk to Brandon. He seems like a nice & sweet boy. What do you think about that, Hope?”

“He lays down on the ground at recess. He sits down a lot.”

“Maybe you could go lay next to him & ask him how he’s doing.”

That night, Brian & I went to the opening night of “Wonder.” I left with mascara steaming down my face & snot-filled tissues for days. Bri cried, too. It moved me. It left me inspired to be more accepting & more aware of my words & actions. I immediately thought of Hope. This movie is an opportunity to teach kindness!

So, Sunday, Hope & I snuck away & saw “Wonder.”

After the movie, Hope asked why the kids made fun of Auggie so much.

“He didn’t look like everyone else, so the kids were unkind to him.”

“That’s mean!”

Later, I caught a snippet  of Hope talking to James about her movie going experience:  the thrill of the big/ comfy seats, the buttery/ gigantic bowl of popcorn, & the warm/ chocolate chip cookie enjoyment.

One part of the convo stood out like a sore thumb.

“The movie was called, “Wonder,” & it was about a little boy that people thought was ugly for looking different, but he was not ugly, just born with a face that looked different than others, but he was not ugly.”

I felt the tears well up in my eyes as I squeezed Brian’s hand.

One movie, one day, one lesson about kindness, & one gigantic impact. Thankful for opportunities to teach Hope. We could use a lot more in this world of ours these days.

Youngins see others from their view, &, typically, it’s from a view of acceptance from the start.  It’s automatic to most. They don’t categorize children: faces that are free from deformity/ faces that aren’t, Caucasian children/ African American children, Mexican children/ Asian children, children that are here legally/ children that are here illegally, poor children/ rich children, & children free from Down syndrome/ children with Down  syndrome. Kids see kids & that’s where it ends.

Curious, yes, but not unkind & judgy!

Children see children as children. They are innocent, accepting, loving, & caring to all. They are not making presumptions  or boxing people into separate  categories & affixing labels. They are simply living their lives & playing freely without a second thought. We could learn a lot from our little people.

“When faced with the choice to be right or to be kind. Choose kind.”

“If they stare, let them. Why fit in, when you were born to stand out?”

So, today, after school, Hope hopped in the car, her blonde locks bouncing & was excited to share with me this:

“Everyone wanted to sit by Brandon, but guess what?!?! I GOT to!!!!”

My heart melted. There are no words. May my children always aim to be kind. They can be dirty or riddled with bad grades, as long as they are kind human beings that choose to extend their tables for more guests, build more bridges, open their arms of acceptance, & continue to stand up for those that are too afraid to do so all alone. My children will be taught to be powerful bystanders &  kind human beings.

I hope.

I pray.

Love & kindness to all! May kindness pour over you like a giant fistful of multi-colored glitzy glitter thrown in the air & may you do the same for your fellow man!