(You too are ) Miss Amazing!

Oh my.

She’s got the whole world in her hands. :)

While looking for something to share with you this weekend, I stumbled on a concept that is completely new to me: Miss Amazing Pageants.

Have you heard of these?

Jordan Somer of Nebraska, was only 13 in 2007 when she had a powerful experience volunteering at the Special Olympics.

Realizing she wanted to give something back, she created the first Miss Amazing Pageant, a not-so-typical pageant for young women ages 5 to 35 with both physical and mental disabilities.

And her idea seems to be catching on.

Apparently, groups in several states across the country now have begun hosting these pageants. As I understand it, the ‘contestants’ are paired with a buddy for the day where they not only get to practice public speaking and performing on stage, but they also get to enjoy a full day of fun. At the end of the day, each of them is given a trophy, and there’s a “Queen” in each age group. There’s also quite a bit of support for them during the year.

It’s a perfect twist to an old idea, and one that seems to be worth celebrating. I don’t know of any one in Tennessee doing this.

Yet. :)

But I did find this video of the 2012 Georgia Miss Amazing Pageant. It’s a little long – a couple of songs’ worth — but it’s lovely. I think you’ll want to watch the whole thing.

There’s something universal being celebrated here. And I found it very moving. What do you think?

Click here. Enjoy. 

_{Photo Credit: By pennuja, Jim Pennucci, on Flikr}