Why we use the puzzle piece

If you’ve ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle, you know the importance each piece plays in the creation of whatever magnificent image you’re trying to piece together. The corner and edge pieces set the boundaries and give your puzzle shape. Interior pieces give your puzzle substance and definition. No two puzzle pieces are the same, even if identical in shape. Each bears their own unique color, texture, or design. When expertly joined together, these individual pieces form a finished product; a proud piece of art worthy of bragging about.

Much like you can’t complete a jigsaw puzzle with only one type of puzzle piece, our society would be dysfunctional at best if people were all “corners” or “edges.” While this is an extremely simplified analogy of the human population, I hope you can appreciate the symbolism.

In the puzzle of my family, I am the planner, the anxious one, the one that schedules family photos for everyone to complain about. My husband flys by the seat of his pants, does all the laundry, and takes great pride in teaching our children 90’s hip hop classics. Our daughter exudes sass from her pores, has uncanny comedic timing, and is allergic to peanuts. Our son is the world’s best cuddler, thrives in sunshine, and is autistic.

Some of us are “corners”, some of us fill in the spaces, and some of us prefer to stay in the box and watch Youtube in the dark; but our puzzle would not be complete without each one of us. Our goal at The KASE Project is to shine a light on the pieces that may get overlooked and create a place where all pieces fit together to make a better place for all of us.

-Lanie Kepler, TKP Co-Founder