GRADUATION rites are just around the corner. Graduation is a time for each student to celebrate a milestone of passage. Graduates celebrate the results of their hard work. Parents watch their children go up the stage with the proudest smiles. The journey to get on that stage varies for each individual—in hard work, in emotions and in obstacles. For other kids, graduation is not even a certainty.
I have spent a few months now learning about the “Exceptional Child” from Tara Santos. It is an eye-opener for me to learn the many “exceptionalities” that kids today face. Some kids experience intellectual and learning disabilities. Others have physical obstacles, such as visual, hearing and other health disabilities. Increasingly, we hear kids experiencing Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD or other behavior disorders. Giftedness also poses challenges for a child. It has made me more empathetic and even more hopeful to help.
I was lucky to be invited last Sunday to an interesting talk for families and educators, called “Brain Learning & Well Being,” hosted by BrainRx Philippines. It was great to learn how to build on one’s cognitive skills in our everyday life from Mel Sua. Rebekah Russell made me want to read more about Martin Seligman’s view on Positive Education. Robin Velasco exposed the participants to a simple meditation exercise. I was quite intrigued with Taka Coloma Mendiola’s “Intelligent Art.” She shares the eight Studio Habits of Mind, which include: Develop a Craft; Engage and Persist; Observe; Envision; Express; Reflect; Stretch and Explore; and Understand Art Worlds. I never knew art could actually encourage that much critical thinking.
The last speaker of the talk was a 23-year-old artist, marketing entrepreneur, teacher and youth coordinator Beatriz Gonzales. Her topic was “Everything I Am Not: Debunking Stereotypes, Welcoming Challenges and Accepting Oneself.” Many have read her inspiring valedictory address last 2018. I have chosen my most favorite part of her speech below:
“….Class of 2018, today’s lesson will be about why you shouldn’t aim to be valedictorian.
“First, people think that the valedictorian is someone perfect—top grades, pleasant conduct and Kate Middleton hair. But why aim for perfection, when you can instead aim to serve as an inspiration?
“It was in August 2006 when I literally crawled to my parents’ bedroom asking for help because I was in so much pain—pain that I can never fully describe or ever forget. I was diagnosed with Congenital Intestinal Malrotation. In other words, I was born with a messed-up digestive system. I became a 10- year-old stuck in a vicious cycle of surgeries, making life or death decisions instead of playing patintero.
“Hospital bills started piling up; my parents were exhausted from working overtime to earn enough; they were barely sleeping on the hospital’s lousy couch; my brother was alone and scared. I realize today that after all of that, I’ve never even said sorry. Mom, Dad, Kuya, I am sorry for what I put you through.
“Apart from my family, I found solace and comfort in Br. Ceci Hojilla, FSC. In his eyes, I wasn’t a ‘sick girl’, but rather a resilient fighter who had a story that needed to be shared.
“He taught me that although challenges may leave scars, they make for good stories and the stories impart a wisdom that cannot be learned in the classroom. Sadly, Br. Ceci has left us and now all I have of him is this tiny picture and a mission to urge others to make their own impact.
“If there’s one thing that vicious, painful cycle has taught me, it is that while certain diseases can be treated with surgery or medicines, some remain invisible and existing. I was diagnosed with multiple invisible disorders.
“At 14, I was told I had Depression,
“At 17, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder,
“At 19, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder.
“In the process, I lost my way, and lost the heart that once aimed to make an impact to a soulless version of myself that I didn’t recognize. I lost me. But just as my family refused to give up on me, I refused to give up on myself. I refused to be my diagnosis. See, I’m not really sick. I was just given the ability to feel more than the normal range of human emotion.
“And, yes, that means crippling sadness, but that sadness makes me appreciate the sun a bit more. And it also means knowing a happiness that is secret to everyone else.
“I fell and got hurt on impact. But today, I want to use that hurt to create an impact.
“I AM NOT PERFECT.
“But I am standing in front of you with shaking knees and waterproof mascara admitting that I am mentally ill and sharing my story because I hope to inspire you to overcome your own challenges, learn from life and be brave enough to share yours, too. Let your voice be heard and use it to inspire….”
Congratulations, Graduates of 2019. Inspiration lies not in the highest of intellect, but in the depth of a strong and soulful heart.