Our Afternoon with Jana Banin...

We were super lucky to spend the afternoon with a truly wonderful, patient and inspiring woman named Jana Banin. Jana shared her story of raising a child with autism which she chronicles on her blog I Hate Your Kids. We were also lucky enough to watch the movie based on the blog and her son, Kaylien. It was not only inspirational but, it also beautifully highlighted the virtues of patience and compassion. We took some time to reflect on the time we spent with her and here are just a few of the comments and thoughts the visit provoked...

" The film was about a young girl who was different than everybody else and didn't necessarily fit in. Not everybody accepted her or had patience to keep up with her. She was bullied because of this and changed schools several times. I think that everybody could relate to this in one way or another. Whether you've been bullied or not, I think everyone has felt alone or picked on at least once in their life. " - Rebecca Luckman

" I was really inspired by what Jana does and how she does it. I really liked the short film and found it inspiring. " - Emily Duffy

" When Jana came to SOM I learned new things about autism. I look up to Jana because of how much patience she has for her children. I now have a new view on autism. " - Spencer Segal

" I thought the movie was very enlightening to make you realize that people are all very different. I think this was a great movie. " - Shaffer Worrell

" After our visit from Jana Banin who inspired the film Kaylien about her son who has autism I began to think about how I related to the film. There was a dog in the film who she found comfort in by petting. I have a dog a laberdoodle named Totty Magrutty who I also believe calms me down and protects me. I think Jana's daughter was very brave and dealt with lots at school and unfortunately the teacher bullied her which is why it is important to find a safe place to learn. Space of Mind is that place for me. I am Hunter Graef and I approve this message ! " - Hunter Graef

Take a minute to click on over here and check out the great post that Jana wrote on her blog about the time she spent with us. Although she brought inspiration into the studio, it seems like she also left inspired by what we are doing at SOM and who we are as a group. We could not have asked for a better afternoon. Thanks Jana !