Just look at us now!
Our "community colors" mural thus far:
Beautiful.
Although we are still wondering together about our eventual center "bloom," there is one thing Opal 2 knows for sure. In our community we are all different.
"The lines are people and they are different because everyone is different. L.H.
We each need space to grow in our own ways, shine our own light and share our own passions. Being different from others, uniqe and special is both cool and exactly as things are supposed to be. After all…
"If we were all the same we would be bored. You and your friends would be the same." P.K.
"If everybody was the same they would all be going into the hot dog shop at the same time" C.B.
Exactly. But what kinds of things make us unique? What similarities and differences are children noticing?
"colors, eyes, skin, hair, style" V.R.
"speed, female, male, names, voice, celebrating Christmas, liking rain, hair color, liking ice cream" E.D. … the list goes on.
Given all the ways each of us are unique we need to be reminded sometimes that: 
For example:
"It's OK to come from a different continent." P.B.
"It's OK to do different things." K.C.
"It's OK to feel different." S.M.
"It's OK to show your feelings." M.C.
"It's OK to change your mind." S.S.
"It's OK to ask a question" Q.S.
In fact…
"Be happy that you are different!" C. W.
When we are invited to be who we are we grow strong. This is so important to us because…
to connect with others "You have to give yourself and really stand up for yourself and be strong." M. C.
Connecting across our many differences is both our work and a defining feature of our blossoming community.
"What a community is: A community is a big group of people that all take good care of each other. And when somebody new comes, the community tries to make the new person become part of the community and connect. And even though they are all different they are still a community." N.T.
What is it to really take care of each other, to willingly reach out to each other? What is it to really feel cared for and to feel both connected and known for who you are? On our way to blooming, we really want to find out. Maybe if we do, we too could be the inspiring hero of a story such as this new classic written in response to the question: What makes people the same and different?
"If maybe once there was a city that where everyone was the same. Then if one would cry then everyone was sad. But one day someone came and that person came from a totally different place and she was really happy. And the other people started staring at her. And they were so surprised at how much she could do. So very slowly everyone started to go to try out what they could do, so now they learned their lesson and found out all each one could do." S.S.
Sounds like blooming to me!
