13/02/2024
So last week a very hateful woman commented on a post of mine.
She told me (and everyone else) that we were raising ‘entitled snowflakes’.
It’s been in my mind ever since, so I’ll be honest-
I have a really hard time thinking badly of snowflakes.
I mean, have you seen them??
I know what the term means colloquially.
But literal language is also a big strength of mine.
I’m only too happy to take that person’s horrible comment and turn it into something nice.
So here are some of the things I appreciate about snowflakes, and some ways in which we are, indeed, alike (and thank you, hateful owner of that childcare centre, for the inspiration):
❄️ Each snowflake is utterly unique and beautiful- not unlike our neurodivergent kids. Don’t assume that any of us are identical.
❄️ Snowflakes are dazzling and awe-inspiring when in the right environment, much like us. Get the supports in place and watch us shine.
❄️ We can be extremely sensitive to different things, but this sensitivity is not a weakness. It is a strength. Because we care so much we are pushed to make change. I do it here everyday. Would I prefer to be insensitive? Ew. No. When did insensitivity ever help anyone?
❄️ The world is often cold but we many of us still find joy spinning and swirling through the wind. We are good at seeing the beauty.
❄️ We may not look like much from a distance, but look closer and pay attention- you will see our magnificence. We are far more intricate than most people realise.
❄️ And finally, it is a mistake to discount the value of our voices.
Because when you get a bunch of us together, we become a blizzard.
Anyway.
I won’t be letting horrible people call the shots here.
If you are accommodating and supporting your neurodivergent kid, teaching them sensory safety and self advocacy, teaching them to be proud of their neurodivergent brain- you are doing the very best job. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Em 🌈❄️✌️
