Kristi’s Open Letter To Others With Dyslexia

First off, if you struggle with Dyslexia, please know you're not alone. According to The Yale Center For Dyslexia and Creativity, Dyslexia affects 20 percent of the whole population. If you're unfamiliar, Dyslexia is a cognitive learning disorder that affects the part of the brain that decodes language.

As a young girl, I always assumed everyone was cookie-cutter shaped in the reading and writing department. I was wrong.

Growing up, my classmates didn't seem to struggle writing up their book reports or reading in front of the class without stumbling over their words, but I did. I assumed the reason I couldn't find interest in books was because, just that, I wasn't interested.

I was more interested in chatting with my friends because talking came easy for me. Teachers often reminded me that I would never get paid to talk and that I needed to focus more on reading and writing because I would need those skills in my future career. I'd laugh and go on thinking, why would I do something in life that I hated?

After I graduated Highschool, I looked back on my education as I looked forward to my future and knew whatever it was I ended up having for a career in life, it surely wouldn't be in the field of reading or writing.

Fast forward to a few years after graduating and becoming a mom to two very academically different children. One of my children excelled, and my other child struggled. Now I'm not talking a little struggle; I mean full-on battle, couldn't stay engaged, and always seemed to be overwhelmed entirely at reading or writing.

Watching my child struggle in so many of the same ways I did academically, I wanted to make sure they still succeeded even in their struggles. There was some form of a learning disability hiding in the background, which I didn't realize until we went through all the testing steps to find out what it was that I, too, would be diagnosed with Dyslexia at the same time as my child.

Once we knew the extent of our child's academic struggle, we put a plan into place to make sure they received every bit of help available. But what do you do for a person that didn't get an official diagnosis until they were an adult? I assumed my life would continue just how it always had, minimal ready and writing, and I'd be good, right?

Wrong, my teachers and I both ended up being right and wrong in the long run. They were right because, yes, I would need to know how to read and write correctly, and I was wrong thinking I could be successful in my dream job without those skills. But they were wrong when they said I would never get paid to talk because I now get paid to do just that. LOL

In the past four months, I have learned more about myself and my learning disabilities while taking on this new career; then I could've imagined. I have cried and felt defeated on more occasions then I would like to admit, but what I didn't do was give up.

If you struggle with Dyslexia or another learning disability, please don't give up. Continue chasing your dreams until you reach the stars, because if I can do it, SO CAN YOU!

We can all do hard things!