Intersection Column | The Gift of Dyslexia

by Jenny Erlingsson

I can still remember the way my daughter looked at me several years ago when we were going over letters. This particular alphabet was also a challenge to me because we were living in Iceland. So when she blinked at me and couldn’t name English and Icelandic letters a few seconds after reviewing them, I thought it was mostly because of the language difference. But as the months passed, I realized that my younger daughter was processing things differently.

I was already aware of the impact of dyslexia on my family because of my husband’s educational history and some of his current struggles. But I didn’t take a closer look at my daughter’s learning style until I noticed she had trouble discerning between left and right and putting shoes on the correct feet. She often struggled with Lego sets because she would build them mirror image to the instructions. That triggered memories of my husband putting together various pieces of IKEA furniture and how he would sometimes start over because he assembled something mirror image to the instructions.

As I was brainstorming my second novel, I already knew that I wanted my character, Kenya, to have the learning difference of dyslexia, or as you will read in the story, the gift of dyslexia. My main character has a knack for putting on great events and maintaining a joyful and bubbly demeanor, as readers picked up on in my debut novel, Her Part to Play. I drew some more inspiration from my sister, who has worked in event planning for years, but I didn’t realize how much dyslexia would be a consistent dynamic in my home.

On a visit to the states a couple years ago we finally had our daughter assessed in our North Alabama hometown. When we received the results a few weeks later, our daughter had all the markers for dyslexia. I cried as I read the full breakdown. There were so many times I thought my daughter was being disobedient because she didn’t follow through with instructions I had given her. But I learned that if I gave her a list of things to do, the last several would just drop out of her mind, past her ability to retrieve. I apologized to her, her beautiful, eight-year-old eyes blinking at me, recognizing that I was going to do my best to grow in helping her through all her learning differences. The assessment also gave me more understanding and compassion for my husband as he navigates the struggles and blessings of his own gift of dyslexia.

These inspirations didn’t just give me deep layers to explore in Kenya’s story, especially as she relates to her well-educated love interest and his family. Writing this book also allowed me to honor the gift of my family members, and others like them. Almost by Design was a challenge to write in some ways as I wrestled through the plot and character arcs, but it was also beautiful to work through because my hope is that others who have all sorts of learning differences will not see those struggles as a curse, but as a gift. We all see the world in different ways. For those of us anchored in the truth of Scripture, the knowledge that God has made us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14) should shift our perspective. Because what others would deem as abnormal ways to read or process information, I believe God sees as a way to add texture and beauty and perspective to what He’s called us to steward. My prayer is that Almost by Design will immerse readers in a fun and romantic read, but also allow them to come away encouraged in their own worth, whatever their gift may be.

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About the Author

Jenny Erlingsson is an Alabama-born author and speaker of Nigerian descent. When she's not running after her four kids or ministering alongside her Icelandic husband, she can be found writing romantic fiction and creative nonfiction to inspire deep faith in diverse settings, as well as encouraging other writers. Her writings have been featured on (in)courage, Live Original, Velvet Ashes, and more. Learn more at JennyErlingsson.com.

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About the Book

An accident at her cousin's wedding sends Kenya Stewart to the emergency room in the care of another wedding guest, Solomon Anruchi, the handsome doctor who ghosted her after their first date. Solomon soon realizes that Kenya is the perfect person to help appease his parents’ request to find a business-savvy wife, and she needs his connections to land a high-profile client and save her career. Their solution? A fake-dating relationship.