“No Disrespect Grandma, But Let Him Be”

The next morning, Eli proudly wore his pink sneakers to school. I waited nearby, filled with a familiar mix of fear and hope. At lunchtime, I saw a group of boys point and laugh at Eli’s shoes. My heart sank. But then, one of the boys walked over to Eli. They talked, and then, to my surprise, they started running around the playground together. It turned out the other boy had light-up sneakers too, just blue ones. When I picked Eli up, he was beaming. He told me his new friend, Josh, thought his shoes were “cool.” Sometimes, a single kind voice is all it takes to make a world of difference.

As the weeks went on, the small moments of bravery began to build. Other kids started wearing different colors. The school read a book about celebrating differences. And then came the spring talent show. When Eli announced he wanted to perform his animal voices on stage, my first feeling was fear. But we supported him. My husband practiced clapping, and Mira helped him with his animal choices.

On the night of the show, Eli stood on the stage in his animal mask and sparkly pink shoes. He performed his animal voices and a funny chicken dance that had the whole audience laughing. I saw my mother-in-law stand and wipe away a tear. When he came off stage, he ran into my arms, asking if he did a good job. I told him he was amazing, and that he had inspired other children. As we walked to the car, my husband said he was glad we hadn’t made Eli change his shoes. Mira, ever observant, said, “‘People just need time to learn.’”

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