Description of the following video:
From the time we’re toddlers, I think it’s something that everybody wants to feel, is that they belong. I went to a private high school, where my dad was the music teacher. And it was on the other side of the city, so it was about a 45-minute to an hour drive to get to school. There was a party that I remember hearing about that I hadn't been invited to. And I think it was somebody's birthday party, and not being invited to a birthday party was a big deal because the majority of my class had been invited. And I think the excuse was, oh, well, we just assumed you wouldn't be able to come because you live so far away. Yeah, and that definitely stuck with me. Ever since then, I've always tried to include people, and I've been very sensitive when I have felt that I was excluded, as I think most people are.
Do you remember from your lifetime somebody that made you feel a part of something? A person, anybody that made you feel like you belonged, like that welcomed you in, just will always stay in your memory for that?
Mmhm. Sorry, I'm getting kind of emotional.
It's okay.
Well, I guess the, the reason it makes me emotional is because I feel so blessed because I can think of a lot of people in my life who have made me feel included. The one that has stuck with me and the most meaningful was when I was an exchange student in Germany. And my host sister was 18 going on 19, and she wanted nothing to do with me. But then when I went to my first day of school, I remember a woman -- a girl, now a woman -- but she just introduced herself to me right away, had me sit next to her. And that was just -- I'm so thankful for Ute because I then became friends with all the girls in my class because she was so popular because she was so open and kind. That's a person who knows what it is to make someone feel included and feel comfortable. And I could go on about other people, but, yeah. I'll probably just start crying again if I do that.
