My Song

Art by Grace Walters

By Sophie Schreiber

When I was listening to the full album of the musical Hadestown on YouTube, I was cradled by the soulful melodies and by the echoes of the lyrics. The musical tells the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus and Eurydice’s story really begins many years earlier, when Hades, Greek God of the underworld, fell in love with a beautiful lady named Persephone. 

Thus begins the ancient song of love that Hades and Persephone sang together. When I think about my own song, it is not a song of love; at least, not yet. It is a song of a carefree, down to earth little girl, who met, and who was able to overcome, a series of challenges. Orpheus’s challenge was to help Hades and Persephone restore the balance of the seasons by teaching them their love song again. Unfortunately, while he overcame the challenge of traveling to the underworld to rescue his lover Eurydice, he could not overcome his greatest challenge, which was the doubt that crept into his own mind. 

My series of challenges are, for the most part, because I happen to have a form of what, in the genetic world, is called Turner Syndrome. There are different forms of Turner Syndrome. Some women with TS are missing one of their X chromosomes. These are typically the women who have the most pronounced physical differences, along with cardiac concerns. In my case, I have both my X chromosomes, only the tip of one of them is slightly bent. This means that, growing up, my body was unable to produce growth hormone on its own. Fortunately, I was able to take growth hormone shots for as long as I could, which allowed me to make it over the five foot mark! I have struggled, and grieved, with the support of my amazing TS sisters, over my difficulty with certain skills, my shorter stature, my youthful appearance, and other, more deeply personal topics. There is, however, meaning in those challenges. Women with TS tend to be incredibly intelligent and resilient! And, for me, that has come along with an amazing memory.

Through this journey, I have been blessed with good health, which I expect will hold true in the many years to come. Teaching was a wrong note on my career path.  But, I am learning to sing the right melody at last.