"CORDS"

She always wanted to wear “Cords”. The colored strands of cord worn around the neck at graduation ceremonies. They typically symbolize academic achievement excellence. She achieved her dream and to say I’m in awe of her is an understatement.

I have watched my daughter grow up in a world which judges those who learn differently. If they don’t fit the norm, they’re labeled, put in a box. They are made to feel different, less than. What “crime” did they commit? They had a learning disability.

Riley has dyslexia. It’s a neurological issue that affects how the brain processes language. It can be difficult to distinguish letters and numbers which look similar. It can make reading, math, test taking challenging. It is also hereditary. What it is not – low intelligence.

Having dyslexia can affect a child’s self-esteem, make them feel frustrated, different, isolated, “not smart enough”. When in reality, they are extremely intelligent people. Yes, it presents challenges, but dyslexic people have phenomenal coping mechanisms. They are creative, have strong-spatial reasoning and problem-solving skills. They learn at an early age to develop strategies to manage their world.

And managed it she did. She never complained or refused to be tutored or tested. I watched her feel defeated repeatedly to just pick herself up and carry on. She worked twice as hard as others and maintained an above 3.0 average all through school. It didn’t come without heartache or trauma. Kids can be cruel but so can parents. She carries deep wounds, but it has never stopped her.

Riley became a dancer. Where academia made her feel insecure, dancing gave her a sense of accomplishment. She excelled in dance. So much so, she was awarded scholarship money when she attended Western. She majored in Dance, graduated and followed her dreams to Chicago (by herself) and became a member of a dance company. Then Covid hit and her dance career was over. What to do?

After much thought, she entered the academic world once again and applied for her masters, apprehensive but determined. She refused to let us pay for her degree. She worked two, sometimes three jobs along with various internships for the last three years all while studying for her masters.

Riley graduated this past Saturday. I cried when she walked the stage. I cried for the daughter that once said to me,” I’m not very smart that’s why God gave me dance”. Well darling daughter, God gave you much more than dance, look at what you accomplished. I’m beyond proud to say, she graduated Magna Cum Laude this past Saturday from Lesley College in Massachusetts with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Dance Movement Therapy.

Her published thesis: Multimodal Dance/Movement Therapy for Children with Autism.

And you know the best part – she got to wear “Cords.”