this little girl is me

This little sweetie in the middle is me. I was born sensitive and strong and confident. I grew up in a good solid home with a family who loved me and cared for me well. I attended Denver Public Schools.

As a child I was known for being sweet, quiet and shy, but also curious and adventurous and tough, preferring to hang with the boys playing what they were playing. I was called a “tomboy”. I loved to read and write, roller skate, play tennis, soccer, swing, and swim.

Photograph of law and her brother, Danny (right) and her cousin, David (left). Southeast Denver, Colorado in the backyard, 1973

Denver Public Schools labeled me as a gifted learner and an advanced placement student, but when I was in high school I became bored with academics, preferring to focus on athletics and part time employment where I felt confident, was actively engaged, and learned skills from my experiences. I didn’t like school very much anymore, but I still loved to learn. I was always a dependable worker and a talented athlete. I had dreams of becoming an international tennis star, a published author, and a civil rights lawyer. I also struggled with disordered sleep, gastrointestinal issues, and some hypersensitivities.

At 18 I left my childhood home to pursue an undergraduate degree in journalism from University of Colorado Boulder. I became insecure about my writing abilities and study abilities and switched my major to match my subject matter interests. I focused on studying history and eventually determined to also become a school teacher. I focused on tennis while working at Boulder Country Club throughout college and quietly still aspired to attend law school in order to work in civil rights, which I eventually did. I was really a natural born peace maker.

I studied to become a paralegal first and earned a certificate at Denver Paralegal Institute. This gave me the confidence I needed to apply to law school. I graduated from New York Law School in 1999 and shocked even myself when I passed the New York bar exam with high scores. I had never felt confident as a traditional student, but I still went on to hold positions at prestigious places. I worked at the New York City Law Department where I argued in the court of Sonia Sotomayor, I worked at the the New York County District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. I found that I enjoyed the law, but I wasn’t built to fight so I became a Mediator and focused on writing. For six years I served as a school law policy specialist and senior consultant for the Colorado Department of Education.

I realized as an adult that I am actually autistic, what it means to be gifted, that I can still play like a child, and that I am already a teacher and a writer and that I most love being a Mother. I have mothered three children.

Why am I sharing? Because research says that 70% of girls feel different about their futures after hearing from women role models. Thanks to Inspiring Girls International and Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society for asking us to inspire the next generation by sharing our stories.

P.S. The boy on the right is my brother Danny L. Weiss . The boy on the left is my cousin David Wilson Booth. Weren’t we all adorable in 1973?
✌🏼💌

Published by stuckinmybra

First and foremost, I am a mother, but I am also an educator and an activist. I've been told by my closest friends that I am a fighter, but I actually despise that part of my identity because I really don't enjoy fighting. I write about whatever is on my mind, which feels like a big mess sometimes. I mostly think about my kids and the people they are and how to help them become who they want to be in this world. I love them more than anything in this world. Sometimes I write about giftedness, autism, trauma, schools, mental health and chronic illness because those are all things that affect me. I write about my own life and the people in it and I try not to hurt people's feelings in the writing process. I hope what I write touches peoples hearts and opens people’s minds because I think people in our world need to have more understanding and compassion. I'm to tell it like it is.

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