• Be Inspired!

    A Lesson for a Mom

    (Submitted by Michelle Gilliam)

    My daughter is currently enrolled in the toddler program at Providence Montessori School. One of the teachers was absent all of last week because of her own sick child, so I tended to pick up Ava early when I could, to perhaps make things a little easier on the other 2 adults in the classroom.  When I came to get her on Wednesday, she was saying her “goodbyes” when Victoria, a teenager who helps in the classroom, came over to Ava. Victoria is a sweet, gentle soul who, at nap time, would rock Ava to sleep in the dark “nap room”  until Ava could fall asleep at school on her own. Well, Victoria leaned over Ava and pointed to her own nose, saying, “Ava, what is this?” I had a smile plastered on my face but in my head I’m thinking “Give me a break. She has known body parts for 2 years. You gotta be kidding me. Please, whatever you do, do NOT underestimate my child just because she has Down syndrome. She is quite capable of telling you that that is your nose.” (I’m being honest with you all here because I bet you have all felt that way at some point. And there is a lesson here.) So, I’m still smiling, trying to give Victoria the benefit of the doubt because, after all, she is young.  I’m waiting for Ava to tell Victoria that that is her nose, and show Victoria how brilliant she really is. So, Ava answers.  In Spanish.

    Yep, and proceeded to name the other body parts that Victoria pointed to.  In Spanish.  I don’t know any Spanish. Victoria thought it would be fun that day to sit down and teach Ava some body parts in another language. Now, I ask you to examine the irony of this.  Who was being underestimated? Who was blind to the Down syndrome? Who KNEW that Ava could do more and take it a step further? Who was jumping to conclusions? Who was downright wrong? This is by far my favorite Ava story. But it really isn’t so much about Ava. It’s about a sweet, gentle, intuitive soul who saw my little girl as someone who could do it. It’s about a mom who learned a big lesson.