Embrace “Different”

Jillian was only seven years old. A little girl who couldn’t sit still in class — always fidgeting, distracted, her mind drifting somewhere far away.

Her teachers worried. They tried everything: scolding, punishing, persuading, even rewarding her if she could focus for just a few minutes. Nothing worked. Jillian simply wasn’t made to sit still.

At home, her mother punished her too. So Jillian carried not only poor grades and constant criticism from school, but also the sting of judgment in her own home.

One day, her mother was called in for a serious meeting with the teachers. They spoke of illness, of disorders. “Perhaps she’s hyperactive? Maybe she needs medication?”

Then, an older teacher — someone who truly understood Jillian — had another idea. He asked everyone to step into the hall and watch. Before leaving, he leaned down to Jillian and whispered: “We’ll be right back.” Then he turned on the radio.

Left alone, Jillian immediately sprang to her feet. She began to move, to dance, as if the music called directly to her soul.

The teacher smiled. The others looked confused. Then he said:
“You see? Jillian isn’t sick. Jillian is a dancer.”

He recommended dance lessons. From her very first class, Jillian came home beaming:
“Mom, everyone there is like me! No one sits still!”

Years later, in 1981, after a career as a dancer, opening her own academy, and gaining worldwide recognition, Jillian Lynne became the choreographer of the legendary musical Cats.

✨ May every child who seems “different” meet adults who see their gifts, not their flaws.
✨ May we celebrate the outliers, the ones who bring beauty into the world in ways no one else can.

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