Maya joined the school yearbook staff.
When she told me, I nearly made the mistake again.
“That’s wonderful.
After everything with the photographs—”
She raised one finger.
“Mom.”
I stopped.
“Right.”
“It’s just yearbook.”
“Just yearbook.”
She became good at layout design.
Not photography.
She liked deciding how pictures and text worked together on a page.
During senior year, she designed a spread about student clubs.
One photograph included a freshman with a visible limb difference.
The adviser asked whether they should confirm the student was
comfortable with the image.
Maya said:
“We should confirm that with everybody whose picture is featured
prominently.
Not just him.”
When she told me, I understood how much she had learned.
Not:
Different people require special handling.
But:
Everyone deserves the same respect.
That principle eventually changed Gwen too.
Two years after Florida, Gwen asked whether she could show us a new
client procedure.
