Have you ever felt like you were in the "Mystery Spot" while trying to learn something new?
Have y0u ever tried to teach something to someone who you just knew was in the "Mystery Spot"?
What is the Mystery Spot?
It is that place where we all live when we are insecure and confused, when we need someone to hold our hand and walk us out into familiar territory.
Turning a mystery spot into familiar territory defines learning. What happens when new territory becomes familiar? It broadens our boundaries and increases an abundance of knowledge, confidence, security and joy.
My job happens to be in assistive technology so I am leading students out of the mystery spot daily. Sometimes this means I have to walk into that spot with them and solve the mystery for them because they can't see, talk, move or think for themselves.
I often feel unsure of my ability to understand the situation. I am often in awe of the honor I have been given to step into this spot and help a child find their way. I believe in teamwork, so I am challenged and inspired knowing there are capable occupational and physical therapists, speech and language clinicians, autism, vision, hearing and early intervention specialists all there with me to sort out a situation.
So I take a child's hand and give them a voice, or if possible, some eyes or some ears. I invent a way for them to participate and interact in an educational activity that brightens an otherwise dreary day.
When I see a child make sense of the mystery and find some new familiarity around them, I breathe a silent prayer of gratitude. Today I pray for you. I pray that you experience overwhelming joy walking into some personally new, yet familiar territory. But I also pray that you get to experience the blessings that come from bringing someone else there too.
