3 Points to Ponder
- “Doing what others won’t do opens up opportunities to what others can’t do. Where do you need to do something where others would stop?”
- “When you advocate for the least among you, when you help carry their load, you demonstrate love in action. And that kind of love in action is contagious. Who needs you to advocate for them today?”
- “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. And this will leave you in the same place as you started. Is there something you need to ask boldly today?”
2 Quotes to Share
“Whoever compels you to go one mile, go two.” – Matthew 5:41
“Go the extra mile. It is never crowded.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
1 Story of Impact
Olivier Elixis was born on November 11, 2012, as a beautiful healthy boy. At nineteen months, Olivier was struck with a virus, causing high fevers and seizures to ravage his body. Irreversible damage had been done as his family noticed his speech and learning had slowed considerably. His mother, Wislene, didn’t give up on him, fighting every step of the way for Olivier to have opportunities in life. She and Olivier joined the First 1000 Days program in September 2015, with important developmental and support systems being put into place. Olivier graduated from the First 1000 Days program into the School of Light Preschool. Apparent as it was that Olivier was developing in his own fashion, his teachers were concerned that his ability to advance his education was non-existent since he was not verbal at school and could complete neither the repetitions nor tests to showcase his progress. His teacher made the difficult decision to not advance him past the last level of preschool. Wislene knew that it was her responsibility as Olivier’s mother to fight for her child’s future. A special meeting was called so Wislene could present her case. She pointed out the many ways this school’s environment had nurtured her son’s mental, social, and physical capabilities. She shared how Olivier came home every day refusing to go to bed before he could sit down to do his homework and how excited he became each morning before walking to the Many Hands campus. It was agreed that Olivier was an asset to his fellow classmates and should not be deterred from going to school provided he continue to show progress at his own rate. During the first week of first grade, Olivier sat quietly with his peers as his new teacher, Madam Nicole, sought to gauge how much her class remembered from the previous school year. Some students were called on to recite in French while others were asked to identify various numbers and letters. Finally, Madam Nicole asked Olivier to walk to the wall where the numbers zero to one hundred were freshly painted and point to the number six. To her delight, Olivier followed the instructions, wordlessly pointing to the correct number. Wondering if maybe this wasn’t simply good luck, she asked her student to also point to the numbers ten and twelve which he did without pause. Now, Oliver has progressed all the way into third grade, with each year his capacity to learn growing. He has been blessed with a mother willing to fight for him and teachers who found unique ways to connect. This week, look for someone who needs you to advocate for them and give them the opportunity to succeed.
