Julia starts seventh grade tomorrow. We are deeply into the nighttime routine and Jocelyn is finishing up the last of the story reading and lingering snuggles before trying to get our girl to set aside the excitement and sleep. All eyes are forward with hopeful anticipation to a less bumpy year at Derby Middle School.

But I want to stop and take a fond look back for a minute; because as much of a milestone as seventh grade is, another huge season for Julia came to a close on Friday. And it all started with an anxious inquiry on social media.

I’m sure many of you are well acquainted with the challenges of child care. Jocelyn and I are no different. Though we have some flexibility with our full time careers, we, like many parents, look with some dread at the snow days and the looming summer, juggling schedules and camps and clubs at a pace none of us would have conceived before we had kids.

In Julia’s pre-school years, we had the good fortune of affordable daycare provided by one of our employers; and there were many years we were grateful to not have to wonder if our little girl was being well taken care of. We even filled our babysitter bench with many of the workers from that happy place.

But then Kindergarten started, and Julia aged out of the program. She needed a new place to belong. And we had to find something – quickly.

We made some inquiries at the places one would expect; but we quickly found that there was either a lack of understanding of Julia’s needs or our budget. One had the temerity to charge an extra $400 per week to cover the cost of a dedicated assistant for her that we knew she didn’t need.

So what do we do? Put a shout out on Facebook.

And boy, did you deliver.

We got a few referrals, but one came for a little place at a nearby Presbyterian church. Even better? The referral came from two different people we trust. They both simply said, “Call Loretta.”

Miss Loretta is five feet and change of boundless energy and love, and the lynchpin of the program. Jocelyn took a tour with her not long after we got the referral. They focused mostly on preschool programming, but had a summer camp program for older kids.

She wanted to meet Julia and had questions about her needs, of course. They had never had a kid with Down syndrome before – or any disability for that matter. But in the end, she simply said, “Let’s give it a try.”

What began with a simple willingness to lean in and help turned into six summers of belonging for Julia. She was welcomed into Miss Richelle’s classroom and became a part of the fabric of the place. There were some bumpy spots here and there when Julia would get out of line (like any kid), Miss Loretta was there to put Julia on her lap and have a respectful conversation about boundaries.

But it wasn’t just Julia that reaped the benefits – we heard more than once that Julia had a positive impact on her classmates. It wasn’t a matter of Julia fitting in. She simply belonged.

But Friday was Julia’s last day at that marvelous little place. Even the best seasons have their completion as Julia ages out yet again. Naturally, I wanted a few pictures with the women who gave Julia a chance – and everybody won as a result.

Her pals from the summer camp watched and eventually wanted to be in the picture. We may never see them again, but it’s clear that their hearts will carry a little piece of each other for a long, long time…

…and we will carry gratitude in our hearts for knowing Love made manifest in the five-foot-and-change ball of energy and light that is Miss Loretta.

Many thanks to you and your team, friend.