I am a grandma of six, mother of five and I was diagnosed ADD at age 50. I didn’t know what ADD was until about 1988 when I friend suggested that I have my youngest son tested. I was insulted and then began to wonder if ADD wasn’t the reason for the chaos in my household.
With five kids, I knew for years that something wasn’t working. One of my daughters folded her arms one day and said “You think something is wrong with us?” And I answered “Yes I do, but for the life of me, I can’t put a finger on it!”
So when my oldest boy who was diagnosed “learning disbled” was 19, my oldest girl was 17 and struggling in college, second girl was 14, and youngest girl was 13 and youngest son was 8…they were all diagnosed right brained and ADD to different degrees.
Life was one big drama for us. My husband and I divorced after 27 years of fighting and frustration and one child ran away, another chose to turn lesbian, one got pregnant and one was doing drugs and drinking. I was devastated. All I have ever wanted since I was a young girl in the 1950’s as to marry and have a family. Of course I believed in “Leave it to Beaver” and the “Brady Bunch” and just knew that MY family would be happy, healthy and functional…yeah right!
Now that the children are grown and this trait has been now passed onto the grandchildren, I have calmed down and began to take it in my stride. I have studied ADD for 15 years now and learned some amazing things. No. #1…there is nothing wrong with us! We are of value, we are of worth and we can make a difference and I believe we will make a difference in the world! No. #2…we are intelligent and creative and not appreciated by our society at large, but that doesn’t make us any less talented! We are the movers and shakers, the reason life is fun and worth living! We are usually the inventors, creators, artists, musicians, singers, actors and such.
No. #3 Yes, we struggled with everyday (left brained) things like paying bills on time, remembering where things are, and keeping organized sometimes, but it doesn’t mean we aren’t responsible; it only means we are challenged.
My children and I have learned to laugh, love and be happy in spite of the trials, challenges and frustrations…God doesn’t make junk, and there is some reason we were born this way. Maybe we don’t know the reason yet, but it doesn’t matter because we are wonderful.
Always remember you are a child of God and he has sent you here on the planet earth and you have a mission. Moses had learning or speech problems and he was a prophet…There is a reason we are who we are, I believe that. God Bless you all.