Grace...

I was the worst speller. The first test, I got only 3 right out of 25. I have improved a lot. I got up to getting only 3 to 5 wrong at the end. That was an encouragement and I think it gave me confidence. What worked best was that I could work at my own pace. The atmosphere was relaxed, no pressure. I wasn’t rushed into anything. Give me small goals and I seem to achieve them. I started in September and passed my GED in June. It was amazing in itself to be able to go in and write that, because I do suffer from severe panic and anxiety, ever since the birth of my first child. It helped me to get a job working in the kitchen of a nursing home, where there was a lot of reading, spelling, and concentration.

I have heard both of my girls say that they’ve seen a difference in me. I see a big difference in myself. I’ve gone out and learned how to paint. I would not have been able to do that before. I had photographs of the houses my husband and I grew up in and just painted them. It’s been two years since I’ve started. I kept going back and taking painting classes and I’ve taken a computer course. There is a lot of things I would not have done. It’s given me a boost of confidence to know I’m okay, that I’m not stupid anymore.

Taken from a chat with Grace LeRiche, Salisbury NB