The Joy of Moments: Learning from Stellify Participants
Spending meaningful moments with young autistic adults at Stellify has taught me something I didn’t expect when Stellify was first created: progress doesn’t always look like a straight line, or a checklist, or a milestone you can circle on a calendar. Sometimes, progress is just a moment in time, and those moments are EVERYTHING.
These “Magic Moments” (shout out Perry Como) is the most rewarding part of witnessing Stellify’s participants flourish. After two years of consistently learning, growing, having fun, I can see incredible achievements of our participants.
There’s a special kind of joy that happens here. It’s quiet, sometimes almost invisible, unless you look know what you’re looking for. It might show up as a smile, a smirk, a wink, or just a glance that wasn’t there before. A small ounce of more confidence, or a connection between two participants that sparkles when they connect. These are the wins that don’t always get shared on instagram, facebook, tik tok, or our email news blasts, but these moments is the key driving force of what we do.
I’ve seen our participants find pride in mastering a daily task that once felt overwhelming. I’ve seen friendships form slowly, then suddenly, through shared experiences, shared challenges, shared laughter. I’ve learned that communication is most definitely not only verbal, its a spark the eyes, a raise of an eyebrow, or a hug from a friend.
Independence is something that all our participants are working so hard to get to, and its not entirely about doing things alone, but having the right support, the right structure, and the right people on your team. At Stellify we have cultivated a safe space for someone to try, fail, try again, and ultimately succeed in their way, and then something beautiful happens, they begin to believe in their own possibilities.
The participants at Stellify have brought such beautiful moments in my life, to notice, and to celebrate the subtle. To value the presence over perfection, and be reminded that with time, anything is possible. They remind me that growth isn’t always loud or visible, but sometimes its just subtle and remarkable.
These moments together create the kind of impact that lasts, which is why Stellify matters, and these participants are why I feel grateful every day to be a part of this journey.
Thank you for reading, and we hope to share our Stellify community with everyone and anyone who needs a support system, and a community full of friendship, laughter, and independent growth.
