Mixed Nuts: The Truth of the Matter

Quotes

"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." - Helen Keller
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck
You may never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.- Unknown
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow' ~Helen Keller
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."- Dr. Seuss
"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it."
"God doesn't give children with disabilities to strong people: He gives them to ordinary, everyday people, then He helps the parents to grow stronger through the journey. Raising a child with special needs doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a special family."Author Unknown
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go – Abraham Lincoln
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein
The journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step
Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairy tale
Where there is great love, there are always miracles - Willa Cather
The Difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
Be the change you want to see in the world
Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big Your God is..........
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it
Fall down seven times - get up eight - unknown
Despite our differences, we sink or swim together
Life may not be the party we expected, but while we are here, we might as well dance
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." -Confucius

Friday, October 7, 2011

The Truth of the Matter

She will never drive.
She will never have glasses that will correct her loss of sight.
She will never be able to see the world like you and I do.
She will never not need support or modification to help her get through her day.

She will always touch your face to orient herself.
She will always come in for a hug for security.
She will always be loved
She will always be beautiful
She will always love with her whole self
She will steal your heart.

I was watching "Going Blind" tonight (if you are interested in this documentary, you can download it on Amazon fro $1.99). It is a good film - filed with a lot of interesting information about how older folks are losing their vision. But I just found myself wanting to shout at the film: "You lived your life! You have had 60 years or longer of vision! You should feel LUCKY!"

Don't get me wrong - I DO feel bad for them. I don't want to see anyone go blind. I can't imagine how scary it is. But when I see an 85 year old man in the film who is so glad he can still do what he has always done because of a drug that is helping his age related macular degeneration, all I can think of is how Finley will never have that chance at 85. She won't have that chance at 25 if we don't find a cure. There is a chance by the time she is 13 years old that she will have no sight at all.

So forgive me for not being as upset for an 85 year old man who is losing his sight. He can still drive. He can still draw. He can still see. He has had 85 years to travel the world and see it. I then think of Finley, or my friend, Jennifer's son - Gavin - who has never seen anything. Ever. He is 3. It just isn't the same.

I am hopeful that one day we will be lucky to have a film made about LCA. (not us personally - the LCA world in general). Let the world know that these children are blind. They did not have the chance that the people in the film had to obtain a "visual" memory of a tree, a sunset, their parents.

One day, Finley will wake up and her world will be dark. One day, she will not know if it is morning or night for they will both be the same to her. One day - without a cure - she will face the reality that is being blind. And tonight, that is tugging at my heart.

"You can't worry about the what ifs, you have to worry about what is"