I don't know who on here needs to hear this but just because you struggled in school or never read as many books as your peers, that doesn't make you less, it doesn't make you stupid, and it likely isn't your fault. And I will fight anyone who says differently! Don't get me wrong. Education is important. But going to the library and spending your afternoon reading books isn't the only, or even necessarily the best way to get that education. The reality is that our education system (including my mom, in my case) often fails us. And often, when it fails us, it makes us feel like shit for it, even if it wasn't our fault. There are a lot of ways in which the classic "sit and read a book and then do homework" method of education interacts badly with certain brains. And that's to say nothing of class or other social factors. Point is I've known a lot of incredibly bright people who've struggled in school for one reason or another. Getting through high school was absolute hell for me with my undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia. I got good grades but I was in excruciating psychological pain the whole time from how much I had to force my way through things. I also had a mom who was a big believer in reading. How much she read was a big point of pride for her and one of her goals as a mother and our homeschool teacher was to pass on her love of reading. I was the dyslexic kid who never got diagnosed and struggled with every book I picked up. I was made to feel like shit for it, too. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that I actually accepted that it's okay for me to prefer movies and TV to books. That stuff will fuck you up for a long time. So if you're struggling or have struggled, I see you. 💜