Meet Tessa
Meet Tessa:
She loves Disney's Moana, goldfish crackers and the color pink. Her voice will change you.
Here is her story:
To the mom I saw in Aldi,
Well, that was a little awkward, wasn't it?
Truth be told, my family is a chaotic mess when we shop
together. We do it often, hoping it will get better as we practice.
So far, we haven't much improved, but we keep charging through it anyway.
You had it together much more that we did, pushing your two little girls
through the aisles. We are a tornado... so it's no wonder that your
daughter noticed mine. They may not look it, but they are probably the
same age.
"Momma, look at that girl's face!" she exclaimed.
You were very sweet in your response. "Oh, isn't she pretty?
She's so cute." Your daughter persisted, and you stayed
positive. "She has such a pretty smile!"
I couldn't look up at you at the moment. I just grabbed my
lunch meat and Kraft singles and hightailed it out of there, shouting to my
husband to choose a Pinot Grigio and not a Chardonnay.
If you're anything like me, you're probably still thinking about
today just a little bit, wondering if you handled our interaction well.
You might be thinking about your little girl, like I am mine, and hoping
that you helped her see the beauty in what is different.
I wanted to thank you, to tell you that I appreciated that you
didn't scold your daughter for her statement. She's so young, and
curious. If I had been less frantic, and more brave, I would have smiled
back and told her that Tessa looks a little different because she has Down
syndrome. And I would have told her that even though she looks different, she loves Moana and pink and Goldfish crackers, just
like I bet she does.
I want you to know that it is OK for you to use the words
"Down syndrome" to explain one of the things that makes our girl
unique. We don't whisper those words in our house; Down syndrome doesn't hurt our feelings. And
while it does not define who Tessa is, it certainly does help our little ones
understand why she is a little bit different.
I'm sure we will cross paths again. Our community is not
large and Aldi is a pretty tiny little store. When we do, I will be brave
and thank you in person. I hope you know how happy it made me to hear
someone speak so sweetly about my daughter. Not everyone sees what we
see, and I thank you for that. You're doing a great job.
All the best,
Maggie
Join the conversation. We want to hear YOUR voice.
How can we educate children so they are comfortable with differences?
Valley Life for All, A Non-Profit.
Reach us at: 970-319-1279
#valleylife4all #voiceability4all
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