Girl Power

Today's gift is girl power!

Early this morning I received an email from my middle daughter's teacher telling me my oldest daughter was on the morning announcements.  But it did not stop there!  Here is what she wrote to me....

"your daughter was on the announcements this morning for donating a basketball for the birthday fitness fund.  The whole class (now this is my middle daughter's class!) broke out in cheers and claps when they heard her name.  You should have seen your daughter's (my middle daughter) face beaming.  It was so sweet and showed such love." 

Talk about starting your day off right!  Wow!  I was so happy, I was actually crying....happy tears!

The year before my middle daughter started kindergarten we thought we were going to send her to private school.  We tested at two...she was accepted at both....we picked one....and then it was the day our deposit was due and we had to make the finally decision....private or public (our public school is really good, so this was a hard decision!).   We always asked our daughter what school she liked throughout the whole process and her decision NEVER changed....from day one....she always said she wanted to go to school with her sister.   Keep in mind at this time she was ONLY 5 years old!!!!

My husband and I went back and forth, as we wanted to be the "decision makers" for her, not her for us.  However, those nine words.....I...want...to...go...to...school...with...my...sister, were far more powerful than we ever realized.   As you can see, we chose public as they are in school together!  It honestly is one of the BEST decisions we have EVER made and one we have not looked back on AT ALL!

My daughter with Rett Syndrome has one of the biggest cheerleaders with her every day at school...her little sister.  At school she is known as my oldest daughter's little sister...not the other way around!  She does not hesitate to show her love for her sister in school....in front of her friends....she not only introduces her friends to her sister, but explains why she does things she does...both good and bad....when friends come over she explains everything which could happen to prepare them....but in a way they are comforted and not scared.  All of her friends are intrigued by her sister and want to know and learn....and it is all because of the size of my middle daughter's heart....sometimes I feel like she has an old soul living inside this little 8 year old body!

It is a team effort between my two daughters in how they embrace their school community to be so understanding and to help them realize my daughter really wants to be just like her peers, but she just has extra daily challenges.   I say it is a team effort of showing true GIRL POWER, as my daughter with special needs could not want to be as engaged with her peers or her sister...but it is the exact opposite....she LOVES the attention from all the kids.....and her little sister only shows love and she is an example to her peers.

For my middle daughter's WHOLE class of 24 students to cheer for her sister....I can only imagine what her face was like....beaming....and extremely proud!  When I picked the girls up from school their gym teacher came over to the car to tell me about morning announcements too....but added an interesting piece.  He asked my daughter to pick what piece of equipment she would like to give as her gift from the fitness birthday fund.  She pointed to the basketball....picked it up.... and started dribbling it!!!!!!!!!!!   No wonder my middle daughter's class was cheering!  Wow!  I emailed the school for a copy of the morning announcements as they always video tape them!

Everything happens for a reason, though we may never know what the reason is.  However, I see why we had to listen to those 9 words my middle daughter spoke countless times to us at the age of 5....she knew her sister needed her....and together they were going to spread GIRL POWER in more ways than one!

Here are some quotes for today....

We can do it, girls are strong- Unknown

I am only ONE, BUT I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do SOMETHING.  And I will not let  what I cannot do interfere with what I can do-  Edward Everette Hale

Anything is possible, if you've got enough nerve- J.K. Rowling

She believed she could, so she did- Unknown

Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful- Annette Funicello

Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see- Corrie Ten Boom