During the summer season, the flowers begin to bloom and attract the bees. Often people will try to shoo them away afraid to be stung. Being stung by a bee does hurt, but bees serve a greater purpose than trying to sting other people. They play an important part in the ecosystem by pollinating flowers. Bees also produce sweet honey, that can be beneficial to humans. Much like the bees, it took me a while to find sweetness in having a Learning Disability. I felt the sting of feeling different and failing at so many things. For so long I wanted to swat it away. Little did I know that life could still be sweet with having one.
Finding my strengths was one of the biggest threats to having a disability. Knowing what I was good at gave me confidence and enjoyment. Before I found activities of reading, writing, and speaking, I thought that I wasn't good at anything. I would try out for sports, or get perfect grades. When neither of these attempts worked, I would feel defeated. Engaging in hobbies that I'm good at helps to give me more happiness and self-confidence.
Becoming a problem solver has also helped me to find sweetness. When I viewed my disability as a problem, I couldn't locate a solution. I can remember feeling that life and learning would always be adverse. Having this type of attitude made me feel defeated. Once I viewed myself as a problem solver, it helped empower me to look for solutions. I may not be able to resolve every problem, but I have found ways to take action on issues. When you have a Learning Disability, you need to be open to a wide variety of strategies to help you learn. I can't do many things such as math because I simply haven't found an effective way to learn them.
Making connections has also been a sweet part of having a disability. Through the journey of having one, I have also met others who have the same issues. People need to have a community, of people who understand what the person is going through. I have also had the chance to provide resources and encourage others going through this as well. I love to show others, especially those new on this journey, that life with a disability can be sweet.
Without bees, the world would miss out on honey and many beautiful flowers. If I didn't have a disability, I would have not had the chance to experience the sweetness of knowing my strengths and weaknesses. Not having this would also halt how I problem solve and my worldview. I also wouldn't have had the chance to meet so many amazing people and have the opportunity to help others. There will always be the sting of having one, but there is also a sweetness. A sweetness I would have missed out on if all I focused on was the pain.
