Alike and Different. Something to Ponder.

Re-posted from 2017.

My youngest son Wes, is in 3rd grade this year.  He has a wonderful teacher who has been quite patient with him.  He finds it difficult to stay focused in class sometimes and needs quite a bit of extra encouragement to stay on task.  He loves being in her classroom and has made good friends there.

Wes is unique in his school.   He joined our family through adoption when he was just 3 weeks old.  We are Caucasian... Wes is of African-American descent.  Most of the time we don't even notice because we're just busy being a family and living everyday life.   We live in a rural area that is mainly Caucasian.  In our whole school district (we're small - guessing under 1000 students total K-12)  there are only 3 African-American children right now, though there were a few who graduated a couple of years ago.  Wes was in 2nd grade when he came home and said, "Hey, how come some kids are white and their parents are white and I am brown and my parents are white?"   We had a good discussion.  Even though he's always known he was adopted, race has just not been an issue in our family.  

Sometimes, since he started school, Wes feels different because other children point it out.  They aren't trying to make him feel bad, they just notice because he IS different from them. Visibly.  They want to touch his awesome tight curly, black, hair, they are impressed with his darker skin. Sometimes it is embarrassing or uncomfortable being different just because it draws attention.  It is okay for people to notice differences when they aren't doing it to degrade or disrespect another.  We should be proud of many of our differences! Differences are what make each of us our own person!

Anyway, (I get off track easily, don't I!)  I'm sure Wes's teacher didn't create this project just because of him, but I am so grateful for it and what it supports.  We can be Alike And Different and it's OKAY!  Wes was so excited to show me his project and writing.  (My teenage daughter informs me that this is an "essay", which I knew, with a "Venn Diagram", which I did NOT know.  I'm pretty sure I was not introduced to Venn diagrams back in the old days when I was in 3rd grade, at least not by that name. hehehe  Good thing I have kids to keep me informed and up to date.)

Here is Wes's essay: (Excuse the wrinkles... I'm just happy it survived the bus ride home in a 3rd grade boy's backpack!)

 

And here is his project Venn Diagram:  (Look at THAT! You CAN teach an old Mom new tricks! Thanks to my teenage sweeties.)

Thinking about the implications of having 3rd graders complete this project, touches my heart and gives me hope!   What do you say we hire Mrs. J. to teach this to our Congressmen and Senators!!!  Think what we could do as a nation if we stopped attacking each others' differences, and spent some time finding the similarities!  When we find common ground, we can be more compassionate and understanding as we find solutions to our governmental and societal problems  challenges.  

Kudos to Mrs. J for her common sense, positive, approach to teaching children to recognize and accept that we are alike and different... and IT'S OKAY!  

It is not only through our similarities, but through accepting our differences that we become united.