Those brief moments of flight and the smiles on the girls' faces made the challenges of getting there worth it. Like the flight instructor, others along the way helped them to grow. Most memorably, the singer for the live karaoke band patiently guided M through "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", while the crowd coaxed her on with the lights from their phones. A bus driver on one of our excursions did her part by reassuring my wife that it was unnecessary to quiet Z down. "Let her be her, it's ok."
Alaska may consider itself the last frontier, but for my girls there will always be new ones to cross. I appreciate the kindness and patience of strangers who will briefly enter their lives and help them get there.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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