Image Description: A cigar tree wtih with white snow on it. Photo by Michelle Steiner
This winter season has been heavy with snow, cold temperatues and ice. It has caused schools to be closed and events to be canceled because of dangerous conditions. It has only been a month since its arrival, and it feels like forever. After the excitement of the winter holidays, all that remains is cold and darkness. I know eventually the season will change. The temperatures will warm, and the snow will melt. But not being able to change the weather does not make it easy. Having a learning disability has caused me to go through many seasons, spring, summer, fall, and winter. Winter is one of the hardest seasons to endure. During this time, I feel the cold, harsh conditions of frustration and defeat. Like the weather, I cannot change it and will always have one. The only thing I can control is how I deal with it. Through prepeartion and adapting to the changes, I can handle the long season of winter.
The first step to handling winter is preparing for it. My husband works hard to winerizie our home. We put plastic on our older windows, and use draft dodgers on the bottoms of our doors. Using these methods helps to keep the drafts out of our older home. I also have to dress for the weather when I head out the door. If it is cold, then I need to put on my warm winter coat, gloves, and a hat.
Preparation with having a disability has also been important. When I was in school, I had to find programs that did not need a great deal of math or science. I also needed to find classes that had more papers, and projects rather than tests. Studying and doing well on exams is harder for me and often does not reflect what I know. I have had higher grades on papers and projects, rather than tests.
When I was finding a place to live, I knew that I wanted it to be within walking distance. I am not able to drive. Having a house that is in a central location gives me the freedom and indpendence to to go to the store, gym, coffee shop, and other places on my own. If I lived in a rural area, I would be dependent on someone giving me a ride to get places. I am appreciative of rides from others, but like the option to be able to get myself places too.
It is also important to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Some days the weather is colder, other days it is warmer. I cannot control the temperature, only adapt to it. The same is with having a disability. I have some difficult days, and I feel more frustrated and stuck with one. Other days are easier, and I feel more accomplished. I have no power over what type of day I will have, but I can choose how I respond to it. If I get frustrated and upset, it makes a difficult day worse.
The season of winter will one day pass and lead to the next season. All the cold and difficulties will be forgotten in the warmth of spring. Having a learning disability will not pass, as it is something I have always had. I felt the bitter chill of of failues and struggles. But the seasons of difficulty change. A new season of success begins, and life gets better. Winter does not last forever.
