23 Comments

It truly was a beautiful moment. May authenticity be the tapestry that weaves our future.

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💯 well put

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Aug 24Liked by Summer Koester

Being neurospicy can often be a superpower.

Our starting gate is a bit further back compared to where neurotypical people start. But once we catch up to where others started, we often ride that momentum to greater success.

I prefer the term neurospicy because it indicates our strength.

The term neurodivergent emphasizes our perceived weakness.

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I prefer neurospicy as well. And yes to what you said, we have to work harder and longer, but that gives us greater momentum!

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Aug 24Liked by Summer Koester

Gus did a wonderful thing for all of us! Hopefully his dad will have the platform to use that gift to expand the movement of inclusion!

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Totally! My hopes as well!

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i admit it

bless your daughter and all who sail in her

(and it takes the eye of a cultural anthropologist to see many things so deeply, as you do 😊)

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Aw Jack, thanks so much!

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Thank you for this.

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Thank you, George!

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Aug 24Liked by Summer Koester

Go Gus! You warmed my heart. 💙😀

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YES <3

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Aug 24Liked by Summer Koester

Excruciating though it may often be, I wouldn't trade these feelings and knowings and doings for the world. LOVE YOU!!!

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Thanks, SKipp! love back!!!

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Aug 25Liked by Summer Koester

Thank you for teaching me about Neuro divergency. Yes I was sobbing with Gus Walz.

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Yes! Thank you, Marjie! Great to hear from you <3

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yes, a shout out to the Waltz family for being the public face (and tears) of neurodivergency. more and more families are aware that either their own kiddos or kiddos' friends are part of this community, so hopefully acceptance will expand as well as shifts to our education system. that would benefit everyone, because "accommodating" these kids makes for a learning environment that is collaborative, curious, and expansive for all (including those tween/teen boys that so need our ongoing love, hugs, and tears.)

and Summer, i hope you (and yours) have been taking care. i had a reply ready from your last post at the start of school and then it went "poof." been thinking of you and sending hug energy.

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Thank you, Anne! All true what you say. Reaching those unique learners is just good teaching, period, and benefits everyone! It requires teaching outside the box, and who wants to be in a box? The last few years I've had many more neurospicy learners, and it's such a privilege to see them open up and get excited about learning, plus dig deep into the content.

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Well said, Summer. Hear, here! [sic] Being an extreme empath is challenging, but at the same time, if enough of us hurt seeing injustice done, the world is better for having the balance it adds. It needs both (many) types of us, especially males who have this traditionally suppressed. Love to all of you over there. The world is watching. I'm so glad our Jacinda recently shared her kindness with you. A lot of us miss her, unfortunately, we now have the selfish, entitled in power. They have borrowed much of that from the Trump playbook. ...And there I go, crying again for all the people here who are hurting. xx

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Hugs back atcha. Our tears are what will hopefully create change! My kids and I watched Inside Out 2 which illustrates perfectly how emotions get bottled up during adolesence -- literally, as in the case of Inside Out the movie.

Are you referring to Jacinda Ardern, former PM of New Zealand? I heard that NZ has recently elected Trump like leaders. What is going on there???

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Beautifully said!

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Thank you, Tracy!

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"It’s hard to be physically and emotionally sensitive, medically fragile, feeling everyone’s pain and the suffering of the world. More than one time, I’ve wished away my neurodivergent “gifts.” But empathy and sensitivity keep us whole and human."

Summer, I've kept this piece waiting until I had time to give it more than a quick read. Thank you for putting all of this into words. I didn't know it until rather recently, but this is me too. And I too hid in bathrooms and closets when I was young. Then, I armored up and got really brave... masking all of it. Now, after years of work, I've lost the hard edge, but I often feel like hiding from the world again. Guz Walz's honest expression of love and pride for his father was the most beautiful moment in politics in my memory... and perhaps ever.

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