A Letter of Hope and Inclusion
A beautiful and heartfelt letter. Written to my son by a fellow classmate, a “secret elf.”
Dear Ethan,
You are a great friend. You fill the class with joy. You make our class better and better. I love that you like dinosaurs. You work so hard. Keep being you.
From: Your Secret Elf
When I read these words, I see kindness.
I see inclusion. I see love.
And that last line, “keep being you.”
That my friends, is acceptance.
The true beautiful meaning of acceptance in its purest form.
Another child, the same age and grade as my son, loving and accepting him AS HE IS.
No judgment.
No negative words.
Pure admiration for a fellow classmate and friend.
I am in awe of the sweet words written on this piece of paper and they bring me to tears every time I read them.
The way our son’s face lit up as I read it to him will be etched in my memory forever.
To the parents and caregivers out there raising children with kindness in their hearts, THANK YOU.
Thank you for teaching your child about differences and that not all children look and act the same.
Thank you for teaching your child about disabilities and that not everyone learns the same way.
Thank you for teaching your child respect and to treat others how you’d want to be treated.
Thank you for instilling patience and empathy in your children at a young age so they grow up to be patient and empathetic adults.
Friends, this is how we continue to move forward.
To create a world that is more inclusive and accepting of individuals with disabilities.
There is always work to be done, but this gives me hope.
Hope that we’re making progress and moving in the right direction.
Hope that the advocating and using our voices is making a difference.
Hope that change is happening all around us one day at a time.
And I hope that one day, all of our loved ones are treated equally.
By everyone.
Written by, Christina Abernethy
Christina is a dedicated wife, mother of 3, and passionate advocate for people impacted by disabilities. She has served on local committees, coached an adaptive cheerleading team, and won awards for successful fundraising endeavors including those for “Team Bubba,” honoring her son with autism. She is the founder of Love, Hope and Autism and is proud to be the coordinator for Changing Spaces Pennsylvania, a movement to build accessible restrooms with powered height adjustable adult sized changing tables across communities to promote inclusion. She is working with legislators to pass a bill in Pennsylvania that would require such facilities in hospitals, airports, museums, rest stops, malls and more. Christina is committed to spreading a message of heightened awareness and acceptance of differences, ultimately inspiring hope. She is also a coauthor of the book titled “You Are Not Alone: Stories, Resources and Hope From Autism Moms”
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