Wondrous Life – Brett Desrosiers

“To the child in all of us and the child we once knew, we introduce Brett Desrosiers in the Good Seed Through Memories Project©”.

Of all the subjective human experiences known to exist, the coming-of-age story throws the highest pitch. To some, turning 21 is an open door to new freedoms that were off-limits, only yesterday. In European cultures, faith-based approaches are practiced and long-held traditions, celebrated. In respect of this inclusive starlit concept, there are more than likely elements of turning 21, not of our control.

In the mythical city of Camelot, Knights of Arthurian legend housed a Round Table where a fellowship of individuals held equal precedence regardless of stature. Nestled on this foundation of curiosities and silly walks, Brett Desrosiers cast her net upon the masses.

Brett’s parents were both educators who met for the first time in the hallways of St. Columban’s East School. Described as joyful and athletic, Brett’s father Wayne is the guy to have around. In the lore and legend of schoolyard heroes, Wayne left his mark in the hearts and souls of every school-aged kid he ever taught. Yet, despite being fiercely protective, he has yet to live down introducing his youngest child to the gods of Monty Python.

Brett’s mother Diane taught Primary School from Kindergarten to Grade 3.When she wasn’t teaching, she tended a garden and marvelled at the simplicity of growing fresh produce each season.

In Brett’s childhood home, life centered around the kitchen. An amazing cook and baker, Diane was a nurturer of the highest order with energy to burn.

An autumn baby, Brett was born severely hearing-impaired. Unable to use speech until she was older, her parents learned everything they could by taking Special Education courses to better understand what they were up against, and to help other students under their wing.

Speech impediments in children with hearing loss are known to delay language development. Making the brain work harder, forces it to strain, resulting in social anxiety, where the tendency to withdraw becomes greater.

While Diane & Wayne were busy taking steps advocating for Brett to recapture her ability to hear, there were others who doubted those abilities.

Through daily rituals around the kitchen table, Brett’s parents convinced her there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do with proper tools and time. From early on, Brett learned to read lips and grew confident enough to ask people to face her when they spoke.

When she turned 18, Brett enrolled in a 2 year Theatre Arts Program at Algonquin College. She chose the school for two reasons: one, it was closer to home and her mom, who was sick at the time. The second lived rent-free like a ghost in her peripheral; the deafness stigma of yesteryear. At Algonquin, Brett, along with her classmates, wrote, directed and acted out shows at the National Arts Centre in the presence of 40, 2nd year students.

During her second week in, a professor in the Theater Department approached and gave Brett the best review of her life, that based upon her energy and output, Brett should have applied to University in the first place. To be validated by an educator of some esteem crosses all thresholds.

In the time it took for Brett to apply to UOttawa. in search of her Masters, turning 21 held many firsts. It’s when she met her partner, conceived and birthed her first child, made life-long friendships with a gang of students in residence. It was also the year she lost her mom.

Winning the Bishop’s Cup for perseverance in all things, was the Holy Grail of lotteries. Dispelling one generation’s small mindedness was akin to turning 21 over and over again.

As one of the most dedicated artistic volunteers in our community, Brett’s work instilling creative expression in today’s youth is vast & broad.

With wide smiling eyes, Brett is oftentimes seen with a baby under one arm and a script in the other. With multi-media projects constantly on the go at https://www.facebook.com/ missdscreationsworkshop. There is always room at the table.

Because of her ability to hyper-focus, Brett feels she has some form of ADHD. With this in mind, she is aware there will always be elements outside of her control, but life-long dreams never go out of style. . .

In the experience of being lifted up and made new, Brett’s involvement at 125 Pitt Studio and Beyond 21 this past spring with “Hear my Voice; See my Voice”, Brett may very well be traipsing through Europe on stilts yet – a puppet on each hand – blazing through the mid-day sun.

Story for May 2023 Copyright © March 2023