Just wanted to send along a story of something that happened today.

From the first meet and greet of this first workshop, a certain girl stuck out to me. She didn’t look like she wanted to be there and I knew that provided such an opportunity to love on her. She sang a solo in sing around later that day and told such a beautiful story with her eyes. I took her aside later that night and knowing about 3 words in Japanese, attempted to tell her that.

The next day she shared her art and poetry and there was so much in her heart. So much beauty. So much hurt. Later one of the kid supporters asked if I would talk to her… we ended up talking for a long time about her heart and how hard it is to not find our worth in what people think of us and things that won’t last. But how there is so much purpose and joy awaiting her when she knows how much she is worth and how much she has to offer this world. The new hope radiated from her eyes. As we were talking, Erika came up to tell her she had a solo. It was the solo “I believe myself”…talking about how she’s put the confusion and the heaviness of being brought down by the world behind and deciding to believe in herself.

EVERYTHING happens for a reason. Every kid is in this workshop for a purpose. I can’t wait for what is next.

Megan Tibbits, YA