We are living in troubled times. So many horrific things are happening. Kids getting murdered at school. Wildfires and droughts and hurricanes destroying huge swathes of communities. Endless wars, new ones brewing. Parts of the world are so dangerous that the people living there are fleeing with nowhere safe to go. No way to protect their children and families. It is utterly overwhelming. Things seem so bad. It can seem like there is more bad in the world than good.
I have been giving this a lot of thought lately. These problems are complex. There is disagreement on what the solutions should be, or even what the problems really are. We get lost in our debates and polarizing vocabulary. And we start to believe that those who disagree with us are bad. Maybe some of them are. And maybe we need a new perspective too.
Which brings me to Jojo’s preschool. It is the biggest shift in perspective I’ve ever experienced. I love this school. More importantly Jojo loves it. It strictly has special ed preschool classrooms. The people who work there are good. Good at their jobs, yes. And good at their core. Jojo’s teacher exudes warmth, compassion, and capability. She was put on this Earth specifically to do the job she is doing. There are speech and occupational therapists in the classroom every day as well. There is a physical therapist Jojo spends 90 minutes a week with. They are some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met.
For the first time I feel like Jojo is getting all she needs. She is in a social and learning environment 5 days a week with such wonderful and talented adults, with sweet, incredible classmates. Beyond her school, life with Jojo has opened an entire community to us of doctors, therapists, other parents and children. And it has opened my heart and mind. Because these teachers and therapists don’t get into special education for the money. They aren’t paid the big bucks and they certainly are not paid enough for what they do. I think they get into it for the love. They love these kids. They love Jojo and they will help to change her life.
In these troubled times we can feel helpless. How do we fight for what we feel is right? We can donate to the right organizations, and we can call our senators, and we can march and rally and speak out on social media. And maybe, most importantly, we can pay more attention to what we see every day and recognize the love and the goodness that is there. And we can acknowledge it, be grateful, for it, and reciprocate.
Jojo The Strong 