Kindness is a Choice

If only they could see how hard you fought at birth and how much you overcame before you ever spoke a word.

I was picking up Yara from volleyball practice when I noticed a group of teenage girls looking at her, whispering to each other, and making fun of her.

Yara didn't notice. But I did.

And in that moment, I found myself torn between two instincts.

Part of me wanted to walk over and ask them if this was the kind of person they wanted to be. Someone who lifts themselves up by putting someone else down.

I wanted to tell them that the girl they were making fun of has overcome more challenges in her 13 years than many people will face in a lifetime. That she works incredibly hard for things most of us take for granted. And that through it all, she approaches the world with so much kindness, joy, and acceptance. That perhaps, if they took the time to know her, they might learn a thing or two from her.

But another part of me wanted to protect Yara from a moment she hadn't even noticed. Because confronting them would mean drawing her attention to something that could hurt her.

So I stayed quiet.

But my heart wasn't quiet.

I kept thinking about everything those girls couldn't see. The little baby who fought so hard to be here. The years of therapy, the milestones that took so much determination, the countless times she fell and got back up. The courage it takes to navigate a world that isn't always built for her.

And then I reminded myself that none of that should matter when it comes to deserving kindness and respect. Yara doesn't have to prove her strength, share her struggles, or inspire anyone to be treated with dignity. She deserves that simply because she's human.

One of the hardest parts of parenting a child with a disability is knowing that I can't always protect her from the way the world sees her.

But I can continue to help her see herself for who she is. A capable, kind, funny, determined young girl who belongs in every space she chooses to occupy.

And I hope we're raising children who understand that their words and actions matter, even when they think nobody is listening.

I don't know those girls or the kind of people they are outside that moment. They're young, still learning, still figuring out who they want to become. I hope they grow into people who choose to lift others up.

Kindness is a choice. And every interaction is an opportunity to make that choice.