This week, Milady’s General Manager, Sandra Bruce, shared the following post from Every Monday Matters with our Milady Team:

We have an important announcement to make. You are awesome, amazing, one-of-a-kind, and a true gift to the world. How does that feel? Do you believe it? Well, you should… because you are. This week, we want to celebrate YOU. And, you get to celebrate you, too. Then we’re going to celebrate each and every “you” in your life. Sound fun? Good. Because this week we want you to CELEBRATE YOU MATTER DAY, meaning it is time to celebrate everything that we all do to make the world a better place. Now, this might not be something you have pondered much, but have you ever stopped to consider all of the gifts you uniquely bring to the world? We know, it feels a little strange, but don’t worry… we are not asking you to boast or brag. It’s just that we know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that you have special skills or gifts that you share each and every day that positively affect the people in your life. Maybe you are a good friend. Maybe you are the one that always lights up the room. Or, maybe you are “that person” for someone else, or, are a committed volunteer. Our guess is that the list is long, which means it going to be a big celebration. Are you ready? We hope so. Because CELEBRATING YOU MATTERS.

Sandra then asked that every person on the team share why they matter and what makes us truly special.  It has been fun to read what each team member writes as to why they matter.  What many of them listed is exactly what I would have listed for them as well.

What I also found out is that it is hard to stop and put a reason down as to why “I” matter.  I think that is true for many of us.  We are good at celebrating others and we like it when other people celebrate us. Though, we often stop short when it comes to us celebrating ourselves.  We see it as boasting or bragging, but it isn’t bragging, it’s simply recognizing what makes us special.

I share this post with you because I think it is important for educators to stop and recognize that they truly matter.  You are awesome!  You are amazing!  You are an amazing contribution to our industry!

I also think that we should be teaching our students to recognize why they matter.  As students are learning, they often see every mistake they make as a failure. They see every obstacle as something they will never overcome. They tend to think that they aren’t good enough.  What would their world be like if they could stop and take a look at what does make them special?  What would your classrooms look like if you started the week out with each person sharing why they matter or what makes them special and unique?

For me, I matter because I say “yes.” I say yes to any request made of me and to anyone who needs help and support.  I am willing to help anyone at any time on any project.

So, I would like to ask each of you, why do you matter? What makes you special?