Watching her is amazing. She has a helper who just basically tells her where the knives are, and when something is blended completely. I can't cook on a normal day with normal vision, so I am inspired.
The more we travel along this journey with Finley, the more people I meet, read about, watch that are blind. They are not living with their parents. They are not uneducated or unemployed.
They are graduates of MIT, Brown, Harvard. They climb Mount Everest. They work at the World Trade Center. They are tri-atheletes. They win Gold Medals in the Olympics.
The more I learn, the more I realize that Finley can do ANYTHING she puts her mind to. Anything. Just like any other person.
The only thing that holds you back is you. Lately I have become more sure that Finley is going to have an amazing life. I can't wait to see what path she chooses.
1 comment:
What an awesome post. If you would ever like to meet some great blind people in the area, I'd be happy to introduce you guys to some. As I may have mentioned before, I have a friend/ex-roommate who is a phenomenal cook/baker. She has been totally blind from birth. I have no doubt that she could become a professional chef one day. I know blind people who are computer programmers/IT professionals, chemistry Ph.Ds, engineers, mathematicians, psychologists, lawyers, teachers, and of course parents--the list goes on and on. No doubt Finley can do anything she sets her mind to. So long as she is comfortable with being blind and has the skills for independence, there is absolutely no reason why blindness should ever have to hold her back! :) I'm pretty sure that the more successful blind people you meet, the more excited you will be about Finley's future. Having blind adult role models could be a very positive experience for Finley as she grows up; there is nothing quite like meeting someone who shares your experience, and seeing others like you who are successful when society at large holds much lower expectations of you. I also imagine that this could be helpful for you guys as parents as you adjust to the idea of blindness. Remember that Finley will absorb your guys' attitudes about blindness, and if you genuinely believe at your core that it's okay to be blind, Finley will be able to feel that much better about her vision loss.
Have you had the chance to check out the Future Reflections magazine by the NFB parents' division. THey have some great articles about these kinds of things.
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