Choose to Be Kind

Today I watched the movie Wonder for the first time. I know, I know. I'm a little behind the times, as that movie came out last year. But that is beside the point. For those of you who don't know what Wonder is about, let me give you a brief synopsis. It's about a little boy named Auggie who was born with a facial deformity and the experience he has when changing from homeschool to regular school in the 5th grade. To read more about the movie you can click --> Here.

In this movie, Auggie faces the challenges of fitting in and making friends. He is bullied by a particular student who gives him notes that say things like, "We would all be happier if you died." In the movie, a little girl named Summer decides to befriend Auggie and she starts a ripple effect in which more and more students choose to befriend Auggie.

Being a special education teacher, this movie really hit home for me. I thought about many of the students i taught who, while they may not have had a facial deformities, were different in other ways. I thought about the students who struggled to make friends and feel accepted. Even as first and second graders. 

There were even some of my students who I felt weren't completely accepted by thier regular education teachers. And while the teachers were obviously kind to thier faces, they would often complain or say snide comments in passing to me or other teachers. 

Anyway, to get to my point, I thought about that little girl in the movie, Summer. I thought about how she chose to be kind. Even when nobody else was being kind. She chose to be a friend, even though it was hard and not the popular thing to do. She chose to by an outcast and willingly chose the path that would cause her to be made fun of by sitting with this different boy at lunch. And all i could think of was, I hope that Brooklyn will be that girl one day. 

I hope to raise a daughter that knows her worth and her identity so perfectly that she exudes light! And in so doing, knows the worth and true identity of those around her. That when she is presented with a situation where a student who might be different than her is sitting alone at lunch, it's not even a question as to what she should do.  I hope that she will choose to be a friend when no one else does. And chooses to be kind, even when it may be the unpopular choice. 

❤️Choose Kindness❤️