This past Friday, we watched our daughter as she ran into the ocean, embraced the waves, and surfed. Fearless courage. Enjoying the sand, the waves, and wind. Not just enjoying a day at the beach, but we watched her connect with the ocean. It was almost as if she and the ocean were speaking the same language.
They were.
Not English, but an unspoken language of understanding. A connection that we could see in her smile. A language that I cannot hear because I’m busy looking out for jellyfish, and getting sand off my camera lens, and fretting about the beach towel that’s all wet. I’m busy doing mundane things because to me, the ocean is a lot of work. Her? She just unwound into the sand. And never looked back.
As I watched her, beaming as she glided across waves, I wondered how many times there are kids in our classrooms that we fail to understand, to truly see, because we don’t speak their language, or even try to understand it. What passion drives them? What experiences would bring them comfort? Is there something that we do within the walls of our room that makes them feel unwelcome? Do they know we love them? Are we willing to ask ourselves what we can change to meet their needs?
Our schools across America are places that are made for kids to fit into. They are filled with identical classrooms, copycat furniture, fluorescent lights, long halls, and loud bells. We even have standards that match across the board.
Standardization. Everywhere you look.
But, none of our students match. Each one, so unique. So amazing. What room is left for thinking differently? What space do we have for being different? Where do we allow kids to share freely, be themselves, and create their way? When do we allow them the chance to connect with the world in a way that they can discover the language that they connect with?
Sameness is neat, orderly, and easy. But, the world? It’s so much better than that. Our world is built on differences. Creativity, joy, connection and experiences meld together to design what it is to be human. And on the days we are truly blessed, a wave of understanding comes over us and reminds us to embrace it.
Special thanks to Waves of Impact for the surfing experience, a group of people changing lives, one wave at a time.