The following meditation is written for any parent or teacher of a supposedly problematic child. Feel the certainty of this meditation every day that you live or work with your special child, and see how it shifts your experiences as your perceptions change. To enter the meditation space, sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor. Breathe deeply several times. Close your eyes as you listen to someone read to you, or keep them open to quietly read these words:

The child before you is already perfect. Gaze at him in your mind’s eye. See how he shines. See the soft hair, the clear eyes, the boundless energy for being outdoors communing with dirt, or the passion for hiding indoors, lost in the world of books. Tall, short, slender, round; all shapes and skins and spirits are just exactly right.

Close your eyes and breathe. Feel your breath coming in through your nose and rising up through your body.

As you exhale, breathe down through your legs and out your feet, connecting to the ground beneath them. With each intake of breath, see the glory of your child. Inhale acceptance, peace, a sense of rightness and respect. There is no judgment, simply love.

As you exhale, release into the ground at your feet all the ways in which your child appears less than exactly right. Exhale the frustration at her behavior, the sense that she is not enough, the glorious stories and expectations you had at the time of her arrival into your classroom or your life that have since proved to be inaccurate.

Breathe in the knowing that all is as it’s meant to be. Breathe in the peace, and the acceptance. Exhale with love. Rest in this energy until you are ready to open your eyes.

From The Gift: Chapter 2