I have shared the story of our youngest daughter Augustine’s much too early arrival several times on this blog. It is a story I share gladly as we think of what our students sometimes live through before they come to us. It is a story I share to remind myself of how far we have come. And yet, whenever I look at her I cannot help but marvel at just how far she has come.
How much she is versus what she was.
How far she has grown from how little she was.
The odds she has overcome to be given the best title in the world; perfectly average.
Average; meaning in the middle of a set of numbers, meaning typical, meaning the usual.
A perfectly average child who has fought her way to carry that label.
It is within her story that I am reminded of just how far “average” can be for a child.
How much our students sometimes overcome to simply reach it.
How far our students go to simply be typical. To reach the usual. To reach the middle of others.
How we sometimes forget just how much of a victory reaching average can be.
Of course, we should push our students to be more than what they were but don’t ever discount the average. Don’t ever dismiss the journey of a child who happens to land right there, for we don’t know how far that journey has been.
As I look at Augustine run after her siblings I see a perfectly average child and I know that she will be okay. That we will be okay. And that average is right where she is supposed to be.
Pernille Ripp 
I had two average kids that are now amazing adults. They are seeing the world, being part of the world, and doing wonderful things to change a part of this planet. From an average mom loving her average adult offsprings!
What an amazing statement. Sometimes people forget this very important idea. Thank you for continuing to remind us.
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