Kelsey’s Corner: What Inclusion Really Looks Like
A lot of people use the word inclusion.
But true inclusion is more than simply inviting someone into the room.
It’s asking whether the room was built with them in mind in the first place.
It’s considering whether a child can fully participate without needing to mask who they are.
It’s asking whether families feel welcomed or merely accommodated.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about inclusion in another way too.
Because inclusion doesn’t just apply to children.
It applies to how we treat one another as adults when our experiences, opinions, or approaches differ.
This week reminded me that sometimes the people we disagree with most are not always our enemies.
Sometimes they are simply people carrying different experiences, perspectives, and pain than our own.
And while disagreement may still exist, understanding someone more fully often changes the way we see them.
That doesn’t mean every relationship becomes a partnership.
It doesn’t mean trust is automatically restored.
And it doesn’t erase harm when assumptions or judgments have already been made.
But it does serve as an important reminder:
We should be careful not to assume we know someone’s heart, mission, or intent before truly understanding them.
Especially in advocacy spaces.
Because when people who ultimately care about the same mission turn on each other instead of toward one another, everyone loses.
Most importantly, the families and children we claim to advocate for lose.
Inclusion requires more than welcoming people who think like us.
It requires humility.
It requires curiosity.
It requires resisting the urge to judge what we do not fully understand.
Because if we want a world where our children are met with compassion, patience, and understanding…
We have to be willing to model that ourselves.
