Being True to Your True Self
By Nadine Briggs

Donna and I decided that as we write this blog, we would tell our readers more about who we are. Donna shared her story in the powerful "That Kid" post. As I sat down to write my story, I realized that mine has many parts and disclosing all those parts will take more than one blog post.  Donna would say the same and we look forward to writing about and sharing the real experiences that brought us to where we are and our passion for helping kids.

When I was in college I had a strong interest in psychology and considered becoming a psychologist. As I thought about the type of job I would likely get as a psychologist, I knew that I would hear about really sad things as part of that job. I have always been very sensitive in nature and didn't feel like I would be able to separate myself from the sadness of others if I was to work as a psychologist. I majored in business instead with a minor in psychology.

In my senior year of college, I had an internship at the local TV station where I got some exposure to how the station measured performance and success. From there, my first job was at a research company that did marketing research for TV shows and news stations. I moved from my home in upstate New York to Boston to pursue this new career. I found it exciting to be part of new TV shows for PBS and I worked with kids in schools and in their homes to see how much they liked new shows. I moderated focus groups and did lots of math. I worked for another research company that required me to do even more math but the companies that I analyzed were Ocean Spray Cranberries, Kraft General Foods, and even Ben & Jerry's. I was with Veryfine Products as head of their research department and was on the team that created Fruit20. I was successful in this world filled with math. I wore suits, carried a briefcase and click-clacked my high heels through many airports. I used to fly to Chicago, attend meetings and fly back all in one day. I was driven and ambitious and reaped the rewards that this type of life provides. I thought life was pretty good and that my future was bright. But you know what? I hate math. I have always hated math and doing math as my job was not my true self.

On December 10, 1996, my life changed in ways that I could never have anticipated. I went into labor with my first child, and I will spare you the difficult details of that day, but when my baby was born, she didn't breathe. She was taken to a side table and a team of doctors and nurses swarmed into the delivery room. She wasn't crying and I thought my baby was dead. I kept asking "why isn't she crying?" No one answered me. "What's wrong with my baby?" Still no one answered. My husband and I started to panic until finally, one of the doctors said "they aren't ignoring you by not answering. They are trying to figure out what's wrong." Her heart is what was wrong. Megan was born with Down syndrome and a very severe heart defect.

Her presence in my life caused a seismic shift in my neatly-packed lifestyle. Within 24 hours of her arrival, I was planning and prioritizing her life. I said to my husband, "Social skills have to be first. She has to be socially appropriate or no one is going to take the time to get to know her. Communication is second and the rest is what it is."

Megan's birth brought me back to being my true self. Teaching social skills to kids is what I was meant to do with my life. If only I had known as a college student that you handle the sad stories by focusing on the helping, I would have been helping others much sooner.

I am grateful to Megan for teaching me be true to my true self.