Our friend Rachel, who works at the front office, came for a visit on Tuesday morning. I asked her if she would read a special story to us, and let the children ask her questions about her wheelchair. I think it is so important to allow children to ask questions about what they wonder about, but it is crucial they learn to do so in a respectful way.
Rachel read Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You, by Sonia Sotomayor - yes, that Sonia Sotomayor. This is a fairly new and beautifully done picture book that pictures children with hearing and vision impairment, autism, ADHD, nut allergies, asthma, and physical disability. When Rachel got to the page with the character in the wheel chair, the children wanted to ask questions about why Rachel needed one (with lots of follow up questions). Rachel answered each question in such a calm, gentle, and no-nonsense way that I found myself quite touched and inspired.
Thank you, Rachel, for being so lovely, funny, and brave.
"Just like in our garden, all the ways we are different make our neighborhood - our whole world really - more interesting and fun. And just like all of these plants, each of us have unique powers to share with the world and make it more interesting and richer."
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