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From: Shaundrika Stevenson
Date: 07 Oct 2008
Time: 15:27:21 -0500
Remote Name: 209.155.27.148
“Helping others can be a restorative experience that makes your own heart grow stronger. In channeling your pain into compassionate service and watching others successfully recover, you may feel a sense of euphoria that leads to increased feelings of self-worth and optimism. Your courageous decision to reach out to others can be the best way to declare to yourself and the world that your pain didn't defeat you, and in fact it helped you heal. “-unknown- I don’t know if you remember this passage (it was a lot longer) I emailed you a little over a year ago. Whenever I see this quote I think of you. I think of how for so long- you let your stuttering silence all the important things you have to say. Now I love how you are using those “powerful words” to advocate and shed some light about stuttering. I love how you are taking all that guilt, shame and fear and channeling it for the greater good. I think your words provide strength to others that are experiencing emotions that are both similar to and vastly different from your own. I think that your strength and courage that allowed you to accept your stuttering will council other individuals who are still hiding that side of them and perhaps over time they can too can find their own acceptance. “What I have to say is important. Wow, just being able to say that is huge. You see, for a very long time, I didn't believe it. I felt people wouldn't like me because I stutter. For many years I allowed fear and shame to control me, and I usually stayed quiet. The words were there, in my head, for I always knew what I wanted to say.” I actually just did a fist pump when I read that because you’re finally realizing what I saw day 1 of meeting you. You have a strong presence and so much to say and it’s time to share it with the world. As for someone who does not stutter it allows me to see a small glimpse of what you must endure. Your motivation and dedication to improve your own fluency as well as help others continues to motivate and inspire me as a clinician. When I first saw you- you were hesitant to step outside your comfort zone and contemplating stepping back into what you knew (covert stuttering) and I am in awe how you continue to push new boundaries and redefine what society says you can (EVERYTHING) and can not do (NOTHING). I just ask that you continue to share your story with anyone who will listen and even those who don’t- about stuttering and how being true to yourself can change one’s life. You’re awesome, Pam!!