I Learned To Speak First,

I'm The Only One In My Family Who Is Deaf, And There Are Still Conversations That Go Around Me That I Miss Out On. And I Ask What's Going On, And I Have To Ask To Be Included. But I'm Not Going To Be Sad About It. I Don't Live In Sad Isolation. It's Just A Situation I'm Used To.

The Best Feeling In The World Is When Your Child Comes Up To You And Lays Their Head In Your Lap, For No Other Reason But Just Because. I Can't Wait To Have More.

I Have Made The Choices That Work Best For Me. I Know I Cannot Please Everyone, And That's Fine.

When It Comes Down To It, It's About Who You Know, And Who's A Fan. It's About Whether You're The Right Age, Whether You're Hot Or Not, Whether The Studio Is Into You Or Not.

I Grew Up In The Suburbs Of Chicago, And In Spite Of What Most People Might Have Expected From A Young Girl Growing Up Deaf, Life For Me Was Like One Long Episode Of The Brady Bunch. Despite Whatever Barriers Were In My Way, I Imagined Myself As Marcia Brady Skating Down The Street Saying “hi” To Everyone, Whether They Knew Me Or Not.