Opinion | ‘My parents weren’t ashamed, they were worried.’ How getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult brought me and my squirrelly brain peace of mind

WritingOpinionPersonal Essay
Written By Shara Cooper

The author in Halifax for her MFA residency in 2024.

Originally published March 25, 2025.

“I specifically asked the class not to use scrap paper for this project, and this is what Shara turned in,” my Grade 5 teacher told my parents as she slid my art assignment across the table. My parents, who were also teachers, had carved out time after work to hear about the ways I was failing.

They shifted in their chairs and looked at me expectantly, waiting for a reasonable explanation as to why I used a ripped piece of construction paper for my art project.

Read the full story at the Toronto Star

Shara Cooper

Shara Cooper is the founder of Recipes & Roots. She is the mother of two teenage daughters, one dog, and one cat. She lives in the Kootenays in BC, Canada. At times, Shara isn’t sure if she’s an introverted extrovert or an extroverted introvert.

https://www.shara.ca
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