The magic is happening….
Day two of AADC is in the books, and it was all that I was hoping and more, and I’m not even talking about the nap and latte I had while the girls were there! We were tired this morning, having so quickly fallen into the summertime trap of staying up late and sleeping in late. The alarm hadn’t been used in too long, and the sound was quite jarring to us all, and yet, out the door we went. Lilly was so inspired by the play that she dictated an ending to her daddy last night and proudly carried in the results to Anna this morning. I handed off Willow to her awesome assistant for the week, we discussed particulars, and I looked around to find Lilly to say goodbye. She was no where to be found. A volunteer pointed out the door, and there was the cute ginger at the end of a parade that spontaneously threw on Bootsie Collins’ style costumes and were forming a congo line around the camp rooms. The girls were in their element, and off I went.
Lilly had a goal for today, besides sharing her script suggestions and some sparkly fabric we donated for the super hero costumes. Yesterday she befriended her first friend at camp, a fellow veteran camper named Danielle. Danielle’s mom gave me permission to share this story with y’all, and I hope it touches your heart as much as it does mine. I met Danielle two years ago at camp. She was in the acting group that year and was a shark, I believe, as the theme was something to do with the ocean, mermaids…I honestly can’t remember the details, I just remember crying as Danielle spoke her lines into the mic, her wheelchair decked out with blue tulle and sea shells and made to look like the ocean itself. Danielle is very medically fragile, she has a diagnosis called SMA- Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Danielle is in a wheelchair like Willow, but due to swallowing and breathing difficulties from her syndrome, she has to lay down all day. I prepared Lilly for this when we were talking about camp, discussing the different kids she would meet, and serendipity put Danielle and her mom right next to Lilly on the first day, and Lilly was handing them the crayons they wanted for coloring. Last night, Lilly said she would really love to invite Danielle over to play sometime. We’re still waiting on the ramps we need to make the house more accessible, but I assured her that soon as we have ramps we could definitely have them over for a play date. So today Lilly asked Danielle over to play. I wasn’t there, of course (this mama was napping and having a latte!), but I can only imagine from my perspective. Our kiddos don’t really get asked to too many play dates. This is why inclusion environments are so amazingly awesome for kids like Willow and Danielle, it certainly is not the norm. It was clear to Danielle’s mom that Lilly was sincere and loving, and we hope to have a play date soon as I can get this house wheelchair ready.
Danielle is one of the spunkiest kids I’ve ever met. She rocks bright clothes like my Willow loves, pinks and long striped socks under her AFO’s, and her hair is colored pinkish-purple by her cool mama. When she asked if she should bring a game over for our play date, I assured her we could do whatever she wanted. Danielle said she would like to rob Fort Knox. I died. I couldn’t stop laughing. As the theme for the year is Superheroes, I assured her that my super power is I’m a great driver, and I’d be thrilled to drive the get-away car in her proposed heist. Her mom said “oh, please don’t tell her that!” and I saw a glint in Danielle’s eye that just may lead to us becoming two of America’s Most Wanted. Stay tuned for that….!!
For now, Lilly, Willow and Danielle are preparing to grace the stage Friday as actors. Lilly is one of the super heroes who has a super cool laser lasso, alike my personal favorite Super Hero Wonder Woman, and has the line “I thought we could all get along” (sorry for the spoiler!). What a perfect line for Lilly in this year of immersion for her into the world of Special Needs and Inclusion. Like I said, the kid is an ambassador for acceptance. Willow will be a towns person, she will start the group chant with her voice output device and the towns people will echo her. How amazing for a non-verbal kiddo! Man I just love this camp, I can’t even….Danielle, wait for it, is one of the bad guys, she’s the evil villain who gets caught by the super heroes, and that could not be more perfect for her awesome wise-ass attitude. I can’t wait, Friday is going to be another tear jerker folks, without a doubt.
And that’s the most amazing part of the camp. We aren’t just replacing xenophobia with xenophilia, we’re learning to really SEE each other as just humans. Humans with different likes and dislikes, abilities and disabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Just human. When Josephine Baker moved to France in the early 1900’s, she was revered for her talent, her sensuality, but mostly because she was a black woman. They loved and adored her, but they didn’t really SEE her for who she was as a human, a woman. She was still a “Black Woman”, and xenophilia like that, putting someone up on a pedestal for being exotic and unique, can be just as damaging as being hated for being a “Black Woman”. She was a person, with nuances and perspectives and individuality. Both xenophobia (fear of the unknown) and xenophilia (love of the unknown) need to be broken down, so that we can just KNOW. Learn to know each other, accept each other as flawed, beautiful humans, all colliding around this planet as it flies through space. This is what AADC does for each child who attends, it helps them break down walls and really get to know each other, and the volunteers truly immerse themselves into these kiddo’s lives for the week. Each role these girls has is a deep, honest, absolutely perfect match to their personalities. How do these women do it? 90 kids and they are making everything fit perfectly, like a puzzle piece. Like I wrote yesterday, let’s start lining them all up for Nobel Peace Prizes!
Once more, and all week, I encourage you to head to Jessamine Early Learning Village this Friday at 11am for the big debut. I promise a tug at your heart strings that is so, so good for the soul. I’ll see you there!
whitewillow 