sing it all in your own voice.

April 17, 2012 in General

My friend Amy McCracken (Richmond on our 3x3x365 blog) has declared today to be the National Day of Tess Ptak. Here’s what she wrote on her Facebook wall this morning:

I love the responses that are pouring in:

Folks are making suggestions for how to celebrate:

Singer/Songwriter Tamara Bailie even wrote a song for Tess, a beautiful paean to kids who are different, and special, and loved as they are.

Click here to hear the song, Fly, by Tamara Bailie

“Fly” Tamara Bailie – March, 2012

Some of us can see the colors
Some have never seen
Some of us can tell the stories
Some have never dreamed
Some of us are used to hearing
Something isn’t right
Some of us are learning something
Some may never find

Fly
Close your eyes
Let your light shine
As you rise
Into the sky
Leave the rest behind
Just Fly

Some of us love deeper than
Some others think is wise
Some of us are more than
Someone else may recognize
Some of us see beauty in
Some of the smallest things
Some of us are made of
Something stronger than we seem

Fly
Close your eyes
Let your light shine
As you rise
Into the sky
Leave the rest behind
Just Fly

May you be brave
May you be strong
May you write every word
To your own song
May you be bold
With every choice
And sing it all
In your own voice

Fly
Close your eyes
Let your light shine
As you rise
Into the sky
Leave the rest behind
Just Fly…

It is easy to feel broken when you see the world from a different vantage point, when you get in trouble at school, when you feel panic and rage and don’t know why. It is really easy to feel broken then. Today we are taking Tess for a day-long assessment to see how we can better help her feel happy and whole. My thanks to a whole community of people, most of whom have never met her, who can see the beauty in her differences and be inspired by them. My love. April 17th. National Tess Ptak Day. Rock on, y’all. Rock on.

My thanks, Amy, for loving her and starting this fantastic celebration of her on a day when it would be easy to focus on what’s “wrong.”

This is a day for everyone who makes strong offers into the world just as they are. Perfect in their delicious differences. Amen. How will you celebrate?

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

14 comments to " sing it all in your own voice. "


Susie Riley

April 17, 2012 AT 9:06AM

Go, Tess! xo

Kim Mailhot

April 17, 2012 AT 9:10AM

Celebrating by shedding a tear of joy for how wonderful our hearts can be and then just celebrating the Me I am today, doing what I love and and loving others just as they are. Rocking it !
Surrounding you and Tess and all those caring for her today with a huge bubble of light and love ! I love you, My Friend.

Wendy

April 17, 2012 AT 9:12AM

“It is easy to feel broken when you see the world from a different
vantage point, when you get in trouble at school, when you feel panic
and rage and don’t know why.” This resonates with me in a deep way. I reckon my little boy and your little girl are kindred spirits.

Pamela Slim

April 17, 2012 AT 9:19AM

I read the words to the song to Josh and he really liked them. There is nothing broken, nothing to be fixed, just stuff to understand. We think Tess is beautiful, and like I told Josh the other day when he was telling me how hard it was to be different than other kids and get teased for having long hair and being brown, I said “I look them in the eye and say ‘I am Joshua Slim. I am Native American and Proud. ASSHOLE!” Somehow that last part slipped in before my network could bleep it. He got hysterical and said ‘Mom, you said ASSHOLE! I am going to tell Dad!” Sometimes anger (mine) expressed turns into laughter and happy tears.

Go Tess. And family. I love you all.

Katie

April 17, 2012 AT 9:20AM

If only every person could be seen by just one person as you see Tess. What a better world we would live in! Lots of love for Tess Day!!! I hope you find some answers.

Jo Miller

April 17, 2012 AT 10:13AM

I will honour and respect myself with the love I deserve – I have felt the pain of being different – today in honour of Tess I release this pain. Thank you Tess. xo jo miller

Kim

April 17, 2012 AT 10:52AM

I will celebrate by painting my own dragonfly, in honor of Tess. I was amazed during your web event earlier this year that someone asked Tess to draw a dragonfly, and she did and returned so quickly with a beautiful piece of art. She taught me it is within me, I just sometimes need to be asked. Going one step further, perhaps I should ask myself each morning to do it, on behalf of the world. Go Tess!!

Gwyn Michael

April 17, 2012 AT 12:24PM

How wonderful! I will celebrate by writing a story, a story about being different. XO

Vivienne

April 17, 2012 AT 1:10PM

National Tess Ptak Day eh! Sounds like a good excuse for making Gingerbread Porridge with banana and greek yoghurt for breakfast. On a work day….

Joanna Paterson

April 17, 2012 AT 2:26PM

This is so beautiful Patti. Sending much love to the family of Ms Ptak today, and thank you to Tess for what she teaches us to observe in the tiny and so often overlooked details and wonders of life.

Lynne Gillis

April 18, 2012 AT 10:39AM

Love, love, love! I cannot think of any better ambassador for showing us all the way than Tess! My love to you… and to Tess… and to Amy (who proves every day that there truly are angels among us!).

Jill Salahub

April 18, 2012 AT 2:49PM

Who knew when we had a spontaneous flash mob dance party (does 2-4 people count as a mob?) in the hallway at work yesterday, “she’s a brick house, she’s mighty mighty,” that there was a real and important reason!

Eileen

April 19, 2012 AT 3:20PM

Hi Patti- I hope the assessment day went well. It can be such an exhausting day. As an occupational therapist who gets to work with the most amazing kids. I will think of National Tess Day today as I meet with each of my brilliantly and beautiful different kids.

Tina Gardner

June 7, 2012 AT 10:07PM

My nine-year old son, El Jay, is one these brilliant, creative, amazing children. He has ADHD and PTSD. He was born when I was 40 and his father is out of the picture now, so often it is just us. It is a challenge to raise this boy alone, yet he is one of my greatest blessings.