[Image of Sarah and Evie sitting on the grass in a park, big smiles]
Our Disarming Disability Podcast guest, Becky Kekula, asked in an email communication if Nicole Kelly and I could give a shout out to a family in Prescott, AZ. Becky met them on an American Airlines flight a few months ago. Their youngest daughter, Evie has a hand difference, and Becky shared the American Airlines video I did last October.
Absolutely stunned at the coincidence, I wrote back, "We can totally give a shout out, and I happen to be in Prescott right now if they are interested in meeting up at all!!" Oh my gosh, what are the odds?
Less than a week later, Evie, her family, and myself were all spread out on a picnic blanket under the trees at City Hall chatting about everything from up coming summer plans, to updates on school. Then we dove into the deeper things, what is it like when facing bullying? What are things you wished your parents said or did?
We connected on this shared part of our experience, to know that neither one of us is alone. That so much of the work that I do is to help be the supports I wish my parents had. To help this young girl feel proud of who she is and keep that child heart that believes she can do anything she wants.
The work that I do is to support Evie's mom, Jenni, so she feels that she is not alone, that she has the tools needed to be a bomb ass mom to raise a fierce daughter.
When people look at me strangely, or say mean things, or make assumptions based on what I can or can not do- when it feels so raw and insecure to say anything I realize this is bigger than me. This is about Evie and her family, that me standing up for myself means I am standing up for Evie, so the world is kinder to her.
Maxim Cover Girl 2020 Top 5 for my group ends on Thursday June 25th. Thanks to you!! We are still in 1st place. Thank you for all of your shares, for all of your likes, for all of your continued daily free votes, for all of your donations to Wounded Warriors foundations for extra votes. Thank you for supporting me and believing in me, because its not just me- its believing and supporting Evie, and every young person out there like us.
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