My son is a super hero. He isn't a fan of super heroes but an actual real life super hero. He was born with a limb difference on his left side and at his young age of 7 has learned and achieved things that some told us he never would do. Little did they know how incredibly powerful and determined this kid was.
This image is the perfect example of what a hero he is. He is brave and fearless and willing to try anything. He has been playing in the dirt, mud, sand, grass, stones, water since before he could walk. I let him have so much personal freedom to explore what his body can do, how high he can climb, how the waves crash, what the stones under his feet feel like, etc. He has been so immersed in nature and his natural surroundings since he was tiny that he feels at home there.
This photo is from his first and ever surf lesson from our dear friend @aqua.aimee and he rocked it. It was amazing to see him just riding thru the water, so confident and sure of his skills. Beaming. It is printed and hung on his wall so that he can gaze at it before he goes to sleep. I love that he is so proud of himself and who he is. I am so honored to be his mother.
Please teach your children about diversity. Show them that humans have diverse bodies, skin colors shapes, sizes and appearances. Everyone is born different and yet we are all the same. When we walk on the streets, travel and meet new people on the daily, people react differently to him and us. Most of the time it appears to be out of curiosity...and other times people are down right mean. It's in those experiences that I become so aware that ableism exists in our society on such a deep level. We need to raise our babies to honor and feel equal with all humans, it's the only way we can get to the other side of this madness.
