We Never Know the Impact of Simple Acts   Awakening Joy For Kids takes moments and builds a framework of well-being and love. Today I received a note from a student I had taught 13 years ago. Dear Michele, I’ve been meaning to send this to you forever, but it kept slipping my mind.  Last year, I got Frida Kahlo tattooed on my leg.  She’s continued to be a massive source of inspiration and strength to me.  My first introduction to her was through you in elementary art in grade four.   I remember you introducing our class to her.  Frida’s story, her art, and her life left me feeling puzzled, as I found her ugly and her art unattractive.   As time passed and you explained more about her and her work, I gained a new perspective.   It was my first experience where art allowed me to think and digest…. and dissect what it is that we consider beauty. Her work allowed me to look deeper into what “normal” beauty standards are.  This was the first time I saw that art could reflect something other than happiness.   Over the following years, her art seemed to constantly present itself in […]