Standards Night

Every year in December, the Young Women have a Standards Night in my church. The young women come together where the Laurels, Mia Maids, and Beehives come together and share a project that they did over the year that helped them come closer to their Heavenly Father and helped them achieve a goal in their Young Women Personal Progress.  The Beehives are the first group and are ages 12 to 14.  Mia Maids are the group I am in ages 14 to 15.  The Laurels are 16 to 18 years old. 

Standards Night was fun, emotional, and spiritual for me.  It was emotional for my mom because she cried when I talked about the project I did, which made me want to bawl (which I think I did bawl).  It was also spiritual for my friend Brianna McKenney.  It was really cool because it was centered on the girls.  The young women were called up one by one and were given a banner and a tiara for the following values:  Faith, Good Works, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Integrity, Virtue.  My mom picked Faith for me.  I don’t know why, but she did.  I thought she would pick Good Works but she didn’t.  We got our banner and a tiara and we each had a table where we displayed our project.  It was kind of like the State Fair where we had our display.  Everybody could go around and view the displays.  Then we were each asked to talk about our project and what we did and how it brought us closer to Heavenly Father.  (The Sewards Rat will really love my project.)  My project was for Good Works. 

There is this little down syndrome girl in my choir named Belen Heindrich and she is the sweetest little girl you would ever want to meet.  She wants to give me hugs all the time.  Whenever she does something right she comes to me and tells me about it even before she tells her mom.  My Choir Director, Ms. Sue, didn’t know how to communicate with her, just like she really didn’t know how to communicate with me, I am Aspergers and Belen is Down Syndrome.  Belen is like my sister, I love being around her. 

I am in a group called River Voice in my Choir, and it is the higher level singing girls in the choir from Sophomore to Senior year (we have all been singing for about 10 years or longer).  Ms. Sue expressed the desire to want us to have a group of kids that we would take and work with on parts and on the different songs.  I specifically asked for Belen.  It frustrated me a little bit that Ms. Sue didn’t quite know how to communicate with Belen, but because of me, by the time of the concert, Ms. Sue was listening to Belen and she was taking time to dedicate time for Belen.  I think this was because of the example I set and it meant a lot to me.  Because people like Belen hold a special place in my heart because of my disabilities and what I have gone through, I can feel them, sense them, and read them. 

On the day of the concert, Belen’s mom said she asked for me all day long.  It got to the point, when we were at rehearsal she asked Ms. Sue asked if Sarah could take her in the room and work with her to get better.  I found myself being extremely protective of Belen when someone neglects her or treats her different.  (Just ask the Quack, he will tell you it is true.)   That was what my project was about.  It was one of the most amazing times of my life.  I fell in love with this little girl.  I adore her and she has taught me about being humble.  She reminds me of myself when I started in Ralph Woodward’s choir in SLC, in the Salt Lake Children’s Choir.  My mom was always worried about the things I would do.  I see a lot of myself in Belen.  She is a sweetheart and I love her and love being around her.  I feel a special bond with people with disabilities.  It is special.  I hope that never goes away because that is one of the sweetest things in my life. 

That’s a wrap!

DINGBAT OUT!!!!!

Me and Belen November 2011