"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” ~Jane Howard

One of the things I like to learn from people when they are a guest on my podcast is what has been a highlight of their career. It is a fun surprise to hear what they say. There are many to choose from in my career. One of the highlights happened in 2011 for me.

People from Taichung University brought me to Taiwan to share information about assessing young children with collaboration from families and familiar caregivers. It was my first time visiting Taiwan. When I told my parents that I would be traveling to Taiwan, they booked their flights and joined me.

Having my parents with me in Taiwan was magnificent. It will go down in my smile file as one of my favorite memories from my career (so far). Family! On the podcast this month, I had the pleasure of talking with Ruth Troyanek and Jessie Brewster who are Family Support Specialists in Wyoming with Parents as Teachers. They shared terrific ideas for ways to implement positive and strengths-based strategies into each interaction with a child’s family on episode 66 (click on bold link to see their episode). Professional practices are meaningful when families are empowered.

Families play a big role in our life. In addition to my family, I also was joined in Taiwan by a colleague from Brisbane, Australia who also did a keynote for the conference at Taichung University. We had an interpreter during our keynotes who translated our English words into Chinese. It was a wonderful experience being with people from Taichung University who work in early childhood special education. I was sitting on an Eva Air flight on my way back home when it occurred to me the power of ideas.

Ideas can take shape anywhere. Ideas can change someone’s life. Ideas can change the world.

Ideas can travel in real time, or through history. Ideas can be shared in writing, or ideas can be shared in person. It is hard for me to feel the impact of an idea when I put it on the page. When I teach or present information to a live audience, I get to look into each person’s eyes and share in that moment with them.

This experience in Taiwan made me realize that we are all connected in a global community. Ideas travel to places known and unknown. Part of the fun is to see where ideas take us.

Hanging out with friends drinking boba tea at the Night Market in Taichung.

Dad and me at the Taiwan stock exchange in Taipei.

Mom and me eating breakfast at our hotel.

The MRT or metro is a sleek system of transportation in Taiwan. Super fast too.

Taichung University professor, Dr. Shih-Di.

Macy, M. (May, 2011). An international framework for delivering early childhood special services to young exceptional children and their families. Presented at the International Symposium of Early Intervention in Taichung, Taiwan.