These are my boys who I love to the moon 🥰 Dan & I were having a discussion about core values on a date last night, as well as the experiences that shape them. It will come as no surprise that Lydia’s birth was a seismic shift in our family. One of the great core values that her coming instilled in us is inclusion. Inclusion is an action-value. It’s related to divine worth—the belief that every life is sacred and has value; but it’s more than that. Inclusion is the active practice of creativity and sometimes sacrifice to make sure that everyone holds a place of safety, belonging, and equality in any given social structure. (At least that’s my working definition 😉) And nobody knows more about the highs and lows of inclusion, nor feels it so deeply in their hearts than the siblings & parents of disabled/minority individuals.
So I just want to shout out my boys, who in so many ways are actually men, for the ways they have learned to compromise, sacrifice, carry, serve, and truly love because of their sister. They’ve had to say no to things; they’ve heard the disabled disparaged. They’ve experienced fear & anxiety over situations many don’t have to consider. We fight for ways to lift their burdens & honor their childhood but it’s been a unique one.
Along with the hard, they’ve also learned to see; to appreciate differences and know how to respect them. They know how to roll with the punches and compromise, even when it’s really hard. They understand how to make room and WHY we make room. They know that the root of ALL these things is the most important core value of all: Love.
They may be young. They may be obsessed with sticks. They may talk nonsense 85% of the time. But these brothers have some of the best hearts I know, and they live inclusion. 💛💛💛
