The wisdom of Stellaluna

I have always loved children's books. Not necessarily novels but the smaller bedtime stories that if we were lucky, our parents read to us when we were little. I often find myself going back and reading many of them when I long for reminders of a time when life felt simpler. During the last couple of weeks, as I continued to think about the vision for this blog, the one that comes repeatedly to mind is Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.  This is a story about a little fruitbat who unexpectedly falls into a birdnest and is separated from her mother following a near miss with an owl.
     Without hesitation, Stellaluna tries to be the best little "bird" she can by eating worms, flying in daylight and at the insistence of momma bird, agreeing to STOP showing her babies how to hang upside down by their feet! In return, the little birds attempt to fly at night only to crash and eventually lead Stellaluna back to some other bats who would remind her of who she really was. The other bats found it hard to believe that Stellauna would be so excited to be-friend a nest of birds!  The story ends with two layers to the same question. "How can we be so different and feel so much alike?" and "How can we feel so different and be so much alike?"   Stellaluna and I have a lot in common.  We are both adaptable and find that accepting others' differences is one of life's greatest myteries.
    Growing up with a disability, I often felt "different" but also knew I was just like everyone else in the ways that mattered most. I walked differently and often needed to play on the playground differently, but had so much more in common with people. I dreamed  about what jobs I would have, about falling in love, having a family, as well as often being afraid of the same things: failure, loss, rejection, to name a few.  Fears and misinformation about disabilities however, often prevented others from truly knowing who I was on a deeper level than first impressions can reveal.  Many did just as Stellaluna did--gave no thought to how I looked different on the outside and just became my friends.  Others  assumed things that weren't true, were taught it was rude to ask questions, or just stared and walked in the opposite direction.  The theme of Stellaluna is probably what drives me the most. Few things seem more important to me than remembering how much we have in common with each other and to respect our differences if we truly hope to experience feeling connected to each other in any authentic way.
      I know that "the real world" tends to feel much more complicated than a children's book, but in my experience, our fears and not the facts are the complication.   How might our little corner of the world be more peaceful or just plain fun if we slowed down long enough to really listen and consciously see our differentness as an invitation to appreciate what others have to offer us in terms of new experiences or teach us in terms of a new perspective? Think of someone you are "sure" you have little in common with and just begin to wonder otherwise. Try to strike up a conversation with someone you might otherwise choose not to and see what happens. Just like Stellaluna, life might just be helping you find new friends in unexpected places.