Inspirations

"The Illusion of the Perfect Profession" by Betsy Gall

One piece of literature that has left a profound impact on me is "The Illusion of the Perfect Profession" by Betsy Gall. Despite my usual disinterest in reading, finding myself easily disengaged with most books, this particular work captivated me to an extent that I found it nearly impossible to stop reading. My love for this book stemmed from a small backstory:

While my current home was under construction, my family had to live in a rental house. When I first heard about the house we would be living in, I was horrified. "Can we go ANYWHERE else? This is creepy!" I told my parents. The family we were renting from was moving out because the father had recently committed suicide in the backyard just a couple of months before we moved in. The thought of living there was unsettling to me. Yet, over the course of a few years, I grew to love this house. Our connection with the house didn't end when we moved out, however. The property owners remained in our lives. The mother, in her journey through grief and healing, wrote a book narrating her experiences. Upon publishing her book, she generously shared a copy with my family, along with a note saying she had mentioned us on page 176. Driven by curiosity, I flipped to page 176, and from that moment, I was hooked.

Why Betsy Inspires Me:

Betsy's book was not just a story but an emotional journey conveyed with such intensity and power that it moved me to tears. The book is a testament to her strength, highlighting the horrifying events she witnessed and the depth of her emotions, resilience, and the path to overcoming such a catastrophe. Betsy's ability to articulate the complexity of her feelings amidst such adversity and her journey towards healing inspired me greatly. Her story is a compelling reminder of the power of resilience and the human capacity to find light in every situation and hope in the face of overwhelming challenges. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone seeking a story of courage, healing, and the spirit of the human heart.

my brother, Dillon

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Growing up with a non-verbal autistic brother has significantly impacted my view on life. Understanding his needs can be extremely difficult, and it is heart-wrenching to see him struggle to articulate his thoughts. Despite his challenges, Dillon has been an incredible inspiration to me. Facing these challenges has stretched my understanding and patience, giving my family the opportunity to learn to communicate in more meaningful, non-verbal ways. Dillon's journey has not only made me more grateful for my own abilities to speak, write, and read, but he has also inspired me greatly, influencing my perspective on life and the true essence of connection. My mom has told me that Dillon and I shared a special bond when I was a young girl, mainly because neither of us could talk back then. Dillon is a very tall man, and we both loved to eat. My mom tells me stories of how I used to pull him into the pantry, lock the door behind us, and eagerly point to the highest shelves with the best snacks. I would make him retrieve them for me, and then we would sit together, quietly enjoying our stash of junk food until we got caught. Dillon and I have always had a very strong connection, and we will always protect each other.

Spelling with Dillon

Since Dillon was born, he has never been able to verbally communicate with anyone. However, over the past year, my family has made significant strides in communicating with Dillon. We began spelling out words for him and putting stories together, and though his ability to express himself remains limited, the progress he has shown is remarkable. Each time we are together, we use his journal to write down important words (to him, like "hamburger", "steak," and "boat"), sounding them out as we go. Normally, Dillon is short-tempered and does not like to be bothered, but during these spelling sessions, his engagement and interest are clear - he seems thrilled to finally be making sense of words and communicating with us. For the first time in 27 years, when asked about his dinner, he can now respond with "Pasta" or "Chicken nuggets". Watching Dillon's journey with spelling words has been incredible and I cannot wait to see the progress he continues to make.

One of my most cherished experiences when writing with Dillon was helping him distinguish between the words "love", "live", and "like". I noticed he struggled to differentiate these similar looking words, so I wrote a few sentences for him to practice with. Through patient repetition, rereading, and guided pronunciation, we worked together diligently.

Eventually, Dillon was able to read the story aloud, correctly pronouncing each word. Moments like these deepen my gratitude for my own abilities to read and write, reminding me not to take these skills for granted, as many people do.

Why Dillon Inspires Me:

I have had plenty of teachers teach me how to properly craft an essay, use proper grammar, and type in MLA format. Sure, that is all important information to know. However, I have never had a teacher teach me to appreciate the power of words and my ability to communicate them. Having Dillon as part of my life has given me a tremendous appreciation for my abilities to speak, read, and write. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by assignments or am so upset I have to read a book for school, I remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to do these things, remembering that there are people who wish they could read and write. Dillon, in his own way, has imparted some of the most valuable lessons, teaching me gratitude and perspective without even realizing it.