I’m reading a book about working with children who have disabilities and one of the most important points the author has made, and repeatedly stated, is that you have to work with them where they are at. You can’t expect them to leap to where you want them to be. Forcing a child to crawl who isn’t ready to do more than wiggle around on the floor does no good and probably does harm. You have to work around the edges of what that child can do and keep expanding those edges.
This is true of all kids, but it matters much more if a child has a disability that doesn’t allow them to be as resilient as a child without any.
Today I was thinking about how well that advice works in other parts of our lives. If you want to make change happen you have to work around the edges of what already exists. If you disagree with someone, you will never change their mind by bluntly telling her she is wrong or making statements that paint a situation of us versus them.
Find common ground. Expand that common ground. We are all one and I benefit when you do.