Dear Addie,
There has been a bazillion (okay, maybe that's stretching it a bit) articles written about research into people's need to feel a sense of belonging. I personally think neurotypical or not, we are all designed with the desire to want to help as well, which, in theory, is what a job is—helping someone with something. There is something to be said about the pride one feels in having a job and contributing to society. If I'm being honest, these thoughts of employment and contributing are something families like ours think of far before we should even be worrying about it. We often change our schooling plans to share education with life skills to prepare for such a day when our children find their sense of belonging to something more significant than the confinements of our homes, leading them to their time to help others. It takes a great deal of work on the individual's part to master said skills they might need and an inclusive environment to harvest them - which brings me to this week.
After returning from a quick out-of-town trip over the weekend, Daddy decided we should get some fresh air, heading downtown to the park for a walk and perhaps some playtime at the playground, why not right?! It seemed like a great idea, and clearly 10,000 other NC residents thought the same thing - it was packed! There I go, stretching those numbers again, but it was busy. Busy enough that a larger-than-most, overly excited, not exactly spacially aware 13 yr old may have been a bit much around the swarm of pint-size children that day, so we made a detour before you saw it and walked around the block, serendipitously leading us to what might be our new favorite place - Howdy Homemade Ice Cream. I couldn't think of anything better than a Sunday afternoon ice cream treat, so in we went and it was way more than I expected.
This wasn't just any ice cream parlor; this was ice cream on a mission, and one that hit home for us. They are committed to lowering the unemployment rate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing them jobs, dedicating themselves to making and serving not just any ice cream but really delicious, great ice cream, and creating (necessary) change. This was inclusiveness at its finest right before our eyes and oh how sweet it was! They were creating a sense of belonging for our community and for any special needs parent I know that means more than can actually be expressed into words.
Addie, we didn't make it to the playground this weekend, but we found something far better, and we will definitely be back again!
Welcome to the community Howdy!
Love,
Mom