No One Ever Asked me How I Felt Before…

7 years ago when I began this path of offering mindfulness to kids in schools, one exchange with a second grade little girl has stayed in the foreground of my mind. She raised her hand during an emotional intelligence assessment I gave the class that showed what changed during the program. She motioned for me to come over, and when I did she whispered, “Nikki, no one has ever asked me how I felt before”. I remember the beautiful pause that arose after she said her truth as her words pointed to the unheard voices of many. I said, “thank you for choosing to tell me how you feel”. I still get the chills reflecting on this authentic sharing. Her words have stayed with me all these years, fueling my desire to spread the practices of mindfulness because she represents the voices of many kids wanting to be known, heard and listened to.