Finding Your Voice

Being grateful means appreciating and thanking the people who support us. For me, I am grateful to those who helped me overcome my fear of talking. 

I will share how I succeeded. 

     When I began pre-k, my classmates avoided playing with me due to our differences. While I preferred superheroes, in particular Batman, they preferred princesses. As a result, nobody wished to play with me, no matter how much I tried. I felt lonely, discouraged, and frightened to talk. 

     When I moved to a new school to begin kindergarten, I froze... I never uttered a word. I communicated by pointing to objects. Moving to first grade, as I was eager to speak, I whispered to a few classmates, yet I was still unable to talk out loud. Also, I began to read softly in small groups hidden in a tent in the classroom, and my friends heard my voice for the first time! 

     To reinforce practice, I met with friends, read to therapy dogs in libraries, and ordered my favorite foods in restaurants. In addition, I began to make art, since it relaxed me. Initially, talking out loud was challenging, but later on, it became smoother. 

     In the first week of second grade, I still had difficulty in speaking. Suddenly, one day, I let go of my fears and greeted everyone in the classroom! They were all astonished to hear me. 

     After two years of intense practice, dedication, and patience from my family, friends, principal, teachers, and therapy dogs, I succeeded. Now, I love to talk! Although Batman was my favorite superhero, all the people who helped my voice come out are my real-life superheroes. I will always thank those who were there for me.

     Although painful, this experience taught me a life-long lesson: to always be grateful and never give up.