Friends Are Important

Friends are important. Even when you are 5. 

One of the realities of our culture today is that disability discrimination is real, cultural, and present even in young kids. I didn't realize how true this was until I had a child with a visible disability who started asking me if she could wear sunglasses to playgrounds and birthday parties so that other children would play with her. The reality is that Cora gets excluded a lot. And nothing breaks my heart more, but a friend makes all the difference.

I'm bragging on a certain 5 year old (not mine). Yesterday, we went to a local burger restaurant with a great indoor playground with Cora's best friend, AA. Cora was a little nervous because the last time we went there kids were not very nice. I was nervous because there were several kids in there due to the rain. 

 Last time we were at this playground, I took the image above of Cora sitting alone at the play structure. There were children playing inside, but not one of them would play with Cora or include her even when she asked. Yesterday, I took the picture below of the same play structure, but this time there is no lonely girl in front of it. She was in the middle of everything playing with everyone else. All because AA grabbed her hand and said "Come on, Tora!" All because AA treated Cora just like every other kid there. 

At one point while several kids were playing, I heard the dreaded word....the one that has been banned at our house because kids have said that mean word to Cora far too often and usually is partnered with the words "she looks"...... Creepy. I took a breath and steeled myself for the talk we often need to have. And I listened hard to see what my daughter would say in response (we've practiced several different things). Cora didn't say anything. Instead I heard AA's voice loud and clear... "SHE'S NOT CREEPY!" And that message was affirmed in my daughter through a friend and her smile lasted the rest of the day! I'm so thankful for passionate, true friends like AA!