Through group discussions with my Sunday school class, we highlighted the importance of managing fears and recognizing that frightening situations can end in comfort and resolution. With the 2024 presidential election now behind us, I’ve paralleled these lessons to personal concerns about threats aimed at students and families with disabilities who rely on state and federal funding.
We cannot segregate children like Hope away and pretend that it’s for their own good. We cannot force these children into a mold, but we must instead build a support system around each of their unique shapes. This was always the intention behind governmental disability protections, but our systems are falling far short of what our loved ones deserve.
Hope’s equitable place in this world hinges on your ability to control the urge to return to a time that no longer exists. If you can’t do this for yourself, do it for Hope. I promise, when the time comes, she will reciprocate ten-fold the love you’ve shown her in this moment.