[ Contents | Search| Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Lisette Wesseling
Date: 10 Oct 2004
Time: 17:56:42 -0500
Remote Name: 203.109.254.49
Thank you for writing this article. I could not have put it better myself. We are taught shame of stammering by our parents, but we do choose to continue buying into their shame as adults. The challenge for me now as an adult, and perhaps for many of us, is to realise that our aging parents may always continue to be ashamed of our stammer, despite our many successes elsewhere in life. I realise I can never convince my family that having a stammer is "a pity", "detramental to my career", "sad", and "a shame." Realising I cannot change my parents' longheld views, and that it is their problem and their issue is both intensely liberating and painful. This is my challenge now, and although painful I'm glad I've realised this and can stand separate and apart from it. We must help our children to do this sooner, long before adult life.