Words and action inspire. I am not sure where the internal inspiration to begin this blog sprang from (the external inspiration came from Sandi and Kinsey (a good friend that works for the Foundation that operates the school E attends). However, I know where the inspiration to continue to write does. Thank you to you who have encouraged me to continue to write. I am flattered by your kind words. I received a Facebook message from a high school classmate, who recently contacted me after reading this blog. She related to me that she had been enjoying it and had shared it with her 10 year old daughter. Kalia, inspired by a book, Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, volunteers in a special education classroom at the school she attends. According to Kalia, Out of My Mind is about an 11 year old girl named Melody, who has cerebral palsy. Melody does walk or talk, but is very smart and no one recognizes it. I have never read the book, but I will. I see some parallels between Out of My Mind and E. E doesn't speak and is very smart. However, where Melody is not recognized as being smart, we were lucky that his first grade teacher saw a unique, mathematically inclined mind and began cultivating it.
But back to Kalia's story....
At 10 years old, I am impressed by her volunteerism. I am an inquisitive person and always interested in what motivates a person. I contacted her mom/my classmate and asked if I could ask Kalia some questions. In interviewing Kalia, I found a bright, insightful person who has an understanding of people far beyond her years. She has a view of the world that others would be wise to adopt. When she sees someone with a disability she does not assume anything about them, because she understands that is usually more there than meets the eye. Yet another view of the world that others should adopt.
I asked Kalia what she likes about volunteering and her favorite activity she does when she is volunteering. Kalia loves seeing the
smiles on the children’s faces when she enters the classroom. I have seen similar smiles from E as well as his classmates when the gym teacher enters his school. Kalia's favorite activities are helping with math and doing yoga. Kalia understands her special needs classmates get frustrated quicker than others and tries to help them through those times.
Kalia has inspired two of her close friends to volunteer as well. These two friends have also developed a love for volunteering. Kalia loves making these kids smile. Making any child smile is the best thing anyone can do. She and her friend make Holiday Cards for the kids and took great joy in the smiles on their faces.
After reading her answers, I thought back, 31 years, to when I was 10 years old and what altruistic acts I may have done. I couldn't come up with one. Not one. And I went to Catholic elementary school. Sure, I was an altar boy, but that really doesn't count as altruistic since it was a way of getting out of class every once in a while. I played basketball, video games and on a computer. I watched TV, stayed up late and was the bane of my brother's existence. I was a pain in my parents' butts (and probably still am). Of all these things, I am sure.
Thankfully, there are kids like Kalia who are more thoughtful than I was at their age. They provide more inspiration to make the world a better place. A little better today than yesterday.
Her last statement to me is as inspiring as any statement I have ever read: Keep writing your blog. You have a gift for writing, I would use it!
Thanks Kalia for your efforts and for being an inspiration to those you help, to their parents, to your parents and ....... to me.
Thanks for reading, more to come.
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