Appreciation April: A Smile As Big As the Moon

Todays post is brought to you by the book by Mike Kersjes, this book has become a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie and is very dear to my heart.

A Smile As Big As The Moon is about a class of Special Needs students and their teachers, who get the opportunity to go to Space Camp in the 1980s! I wont give you many details, because this is a must see for anyone who is considered "Special Needs" or anyone who has a heart for those considered Special Needs.

As a child I was the the daughter of a man who worked with Special Needs adults and a mother who was a Special Education teacher in Elem/Middle school. The people I met, touched my heart even when I was young... I saw how hard they worked and loved them as though they were family...

Then in High School was blessed with a best friend who was in the Special Education program. He lived close to me and I cared for him like a sister does a brother. He was bullied and I stood up to those bullies right along with him. They left him alone!

Then in college I found out something that my parent's and I all knew deep down, but it hadn't yet been confirmed until my freshman year of college. I had a brain disorder(ACC, Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum), I had always been a person with "special needs" overlooked by the school system because they didn't want their Special Education teach to have a daughter in Special Ed. I was shocked, but I quickly decided to be an overcomer, I now knew WHY I was limited and that was the first step to overcoming those limits. You have to understand something before you can overcome it. It was my time, I was ready.

Then Last year I was introduced to the movie A Smile As Big As The Moon. The moment I found out there was a book too, I bought it and read it...twice. I was captivated by this story, I found people to relate to, I found a Special Education teacher that inspired me as much as my Mother always has... I found a group of people that I knew would believe in me even though they don't even know ANYTHING about me. I "met" through this book and movie a group of students, now adults, older than me, but still adults like me...who I could identify with... and I no longer felt alone.

I'm still finding my place in this world, But every time I doubt myself, my place, my life, every time I doubt that I can still over come things, I think of the fact that I have graduated college, but I also remember that there are so many others like me...I think of Mike Kersjes and his first class that went to Space Camp. I praise God for them all, say a prayer for each of them, and I APPRECIATE them. I appreciate them because they inspire me, and so many others and I'm so thankful for them. I doubt this will ever be read by any of them but if by the off chance it does... THANK YOU ALL!

To anyone reading this blog who hasn't seen the movie or read the book. Check BOTH out! You won't be disappointed: http://www.amazon.com/Hallmark-Smile-As-Big-Moon/dp/B00722MQE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365555406&sr=8-1&keywords=a+smile+as+big+as+the+moon 
http://www.amazon.com/Smile-Big-Moon-Education-Inspiring/dp/B00A17NOEQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1365555406&sr=8-2&keywords=a+smile+as+big+as+the+moon