🌟 Finding My Own Gold Stars

🌟 Finding My Own Gold Stars
There are things I’ve wanted to hear, expected to hear, and sometimes realized they just weren’t in my partner to say. That made me stop and ask: What is it I’m really needing to hear? And if those words don’t come from someone else, maybe they can come from me.
✨ Childhood Lessons in Affirmation
I remember back in second grade when my teacher, Miss Jerome, would put a gold star on my schoolwork. It was her way of saying, “You did a good job,” even without words. Later teachers didn’t use gold stars, but I learned to recognize their signals — the subtle ways they showed I was doing well.
🏠 Carrying It Into Adulthood
Now, at 52, I find myself wanting that same affirmation in my daily life — whether it’s at home or in my relationship. I’ve realized my partner isn’t someone who gives frequent verbal encouragement. She says it sometimes, but not as often as I’d like. And that’s okay. It’s not about fault; it’s about understanding differences.
🔄 Reframing the Need
So I asked myself: If I’m not hearing the things I want often enough, how can I change that?  
One answer was simple: create my own reminders.
I could send myself emails or notes celebrating small wins. Not “You solved world peace today,” but everyday victories:
• 
You took your medicine on time — good job.
• 
You refilled the cat’s water bowl this morning — they’ll appreciate that.
These little affirmations can stay in my inbox, ready to remind me that I’m doing things right.
📖 Writing My Own Manual
Nobody is at fault for missing this page in my “user manual.” What I’ve learned is that I can write my own affirmations, leave myself reminders, and celebrate the small wins that matter. Encouragement doesn’t always have to come from others — sometimes the best gold star is the one you give yourself.
🚀 Join My Journey
I’ll be sharing more reflections like this — along with my mission through the galaxies of accessibility, blindness retraining, and certification to become an assistive technology instructor.
That journey will take me to World Services for the Blind, and I’ll be chronicling it at www.AccessITales.blog