La’Najah & Taylor

Meet La’Najah and Taylor, this match just celebrated their first Match-A-Versary, and what a year it was. From the DIA to tie dying and water balloon fights, ice skating to baking cookies, these two have had a lot of fun while building a strong foundation of trust. When asked if she would like to renew her match for another year La’Najah answered, “Yes, forever!” Congratulations to both of you ladies on an excellent first year together, and on being October’s Match of the Month! 

Taylor regularly makes time to work with La’Najah on her reading skills. This is an area that La’Najah specifically asked Taylor to help her with. Not only did Taylor listen to La’Najah’s request, but she also goes out of her way to make sure the work they do together remains fun and interesting, with trips to the library, new books, and educational computer games. By allowing La’Najah to set her own goals, and keeping the learning process fun and interesting, Taylor is igniting her Little’s potential by encouraging her enjoyment of learning, and rewarding the fact that she advocated for herself by asking for help.  

When La’Najah suffered a loss in her family, Taylor again was there to listen to her Little. Through that difficult time, the bonds of trust in this match deepened as Taylor opened up to La’Najah sharing her own experience with family loss. It was important to Taylor that La’Najah understood that the difficult and complicated feelings she was experiencing were normal and it was ok to feel them, it was ok to cry. When a child is empowered with the knowledge that the difficult feelings they are experiencing are normal, and nothing to be embarrassed about, it encourages growth and confidence, and better prepares them to handle life’s inevitable challenges. 

La’Najah’s mom describes Taylor as, a cheerful and positive role model who always has good advice for her daughter. She says she has seen many positive changes in La’Najah since the match began, including that she is more adventurous. La’Najah’s newfound sense of adventure is likely due to the increase in confidence that comes with a Big like Taylor. A Big who listens to, shares power with, and sets an example for their Little encourages them to grow into an individual who is not only aware of their own potential, but also has the courage to stand and defend it. Congrats to both La’Najah and Taylor on the excellent team you have built, you definitely deserve to be Match of the Month.