what would Maria do?

Maria Montessori was born August 31, 1870: happy birthday, incredible human! Today we celebrate Maria’s legacy with a conversation between four women who commit themselves to peace building and community connection. Each of us “follow the child” within while learning from the children we encounter in our world. Cecelia Fabian is from El Salvador, grew up in Los Angeles, and lives/designs/makes daily beauty in Brooklyn. Cecelia has longstanding collaborations with Montessori teachers through fashion design, theater, modern dance, and community building. Be sure to check out Cecelia ChilaforFun’s unique designs and content via her Linktree! Stacie Grasso has been a Montessori educator since 2009 and owns/runs Amesbury Montessori School in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Mia Grasso, Stacie’s daughter, is an artist, model, and sales associate who graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2025. I got to know the Grasso family at Stoneridge Children’s Montessori School from 2008-2013. Listen in and learn more about Maria and how her example continues to speak volumes in our time. For a great read on the life of Montessori, we recommend E.G. Slade’s award-winning historical fiction Momentum: Montessori, A Life in Motion. You can learn more about the author’s non-profit Public Montessori in Action at their website. Monday Morning Muse depends on those who listen, linger, and share. Thank you. For a fun bonus, here’s Mia’s brother Michael in a 14 year old YouTube video teaching the song The More We Get Together. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mondaymorningmuse.substack.com/subscribe