How Often Do We Take Things for Granted?
How often have we taken things for granted in our life? The person who takes their freedom of walking from room to room, compared to one stuck in a wheelchair, and can not move around as freely if they're in a hurry to get somewhere? What about the person who is blind, compared to the one who can see the colors of a rainbow and the beauty of a sunset at night? What about the person who can carry on a conversation and hear the words "I Love You!" said out loud, compared to the one who will never hear a baby's first cry, or the birds singing first thing in the morning!
How can we truly understand how lucky some of us are if we have never walked in another's shoes? When I was growing up, my cousin at the age of 13 started going blind! It was a genetic disorder, and she had to learn how to do things without her sight, when once upon a time she could fully see! When she was 15, she lost her complete sight! I was 18 at the time, and because we were so close, I wanted to know what she felt like and how she could all of a sudden live in a different kind of world! I blindfolded myself and tightened the scarf around my eyes as tight as it would go, so I was now living in complete darkness! Do you realize what it's like to have to feel your way around? How hard is it to pour a simple glass of water? I lasted an hour! She will have to last a lifetime! Crossing the street becomes scarier without sight! What about cooking a meal? We take our freedom of being able to see for granted so often!
Growing up, I had a friend who was deaf from birth, and me, not knowing sign language would communicate with her through writing! When I had kids of my own, and I heard my child's first cry, I thought of her and realized she would never hear that sound. My daughter and I are both in the process of learning sign language, and surprisingly enough we already know quite a lot of signs! The reason we have decided to do this is because, with 5 kids in the family, I could one day have a grandchild born without their hearing, and if that should ever happen, I will be prepared! I will also be prepared to communicate with other people who cross my path who are deaf!
When I had kids of my own, my other cousin had a son born two weeks before one of my son's, and her boy was born with Cerebral Palsy! He was going to have to live in a wheelchair during the day, and as he learned to talk, his voice wasn't clear, and he couldn't hold his head up! I looked at my children who were healthy, and felt guilty for that fact! I did feel guilty, until the day when we had a family reunion at the lake and my son Calum who was about 11 at the time put together a football game for all the cousins, and there was Mitchell who couldn't run and join them, that my son pushed his wheelchair into the game, and handed him the football, and then pushed his chair across the end zone while everyone cheered on, and Mitchell had the biggest smile on his face! My son found a way to include him instead of leaving him on the sidelines. I realized at that point that my kids are healthy, but they also know how to welcome others and work around any obstacles to help others reach the finish line!
I guess what I really wanted to do today is honor my followers and other members in WA who have obstacles to overcome, or life has not handed them a bed of roses, and they have to work at things maybe a little harder than some of us, but they're here every day, plugging away at WA to work on their online business, and communicating with the community! I respect you all so much!
It makes me think of Helen Keller who was Blind and deaf, and how she had to overcome and learn so much with the help of her teacher and mentor Anne Sullivan, and the quotes she left behind for us to remember her by!
"It is a terrible thing to see, but have no vision" - Helen Keller
"One can never consent to creep when one feels the impulse to soar" - Helen Keller
"We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough" - Helen Keller
Remember that working online is hard at times, but how much harder it can be for some of us, and never give up if you want something bad enough!
Recent Comments
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children are far more accepting today of children with disabilities than in the past because society has changed its attitude with the laws that have been enacted. children with disabilities are mainstreamed into classrooms, whereas before 1980 you didn't see children with disabilities in schools. I was in graduate school when IDEA became law and I was the only child in the school with a disability and the kids teased me because they didn't know how to react to me
congratulations for wanting to communicate with someone in their language, because many don't
Thank you! :) Before I homeschooled my kids, one of my sons who was in middle school was put in a special classroom with other's with disabilities, and I thought why can't he be with others, he's not any different, and he hated it, so that was one of the reasons I took them out of school, and homeschooled them, and the school was angry with me because they were getting special funding for the school especially for him, and they lost their funding! Everyone is all the same inside, and we all have something we have to deal with! Thanks so much for your comment! :)
I don't mean for this post I just did to offend anyone! I don't think people took the time to read the whole post, and what I was saying was that we all have our battles, and to keep on fighting the good fight, and I was just pointing out how NEVER take anything in life for granted, as you can do anything you put your mind to, and how the people in my life have always looked on the bright side, and how I always try to walk a day in someone else's shoes, and how it's not easy if you're not used to it! Thanks for understanding what my post was about, as my biggest hero is Helen Keller, and how positive she was with everything in life! :)
I think we all, at many points in our life, take some things for granted. Many times it works out; others; eh, not so much.
Thank you for sending this my way, I appreciated the heartfelt words.
Mickeyb
Very good. All I want to add is that I have discovered another talented writer and outstanding human being here at WA.
John
awwww..thank you so much!! :) I feel bad though that I have offended some people, as was not my intention! I do a lot of writing, and some of my writing deals with hard issues, and how to word things correctly without offending anyone, but I'm glad you commented, as you just made my day! :) I was going through a depression today..a really bad one, and instead of focusing on me, I wanted to realize how I should just be grateful, but maybe it came out wrong! Your comment did make me smile, when today so far has been not a good one!
Thank you. I can understand some people looking at this as a negative. But I think if one would read your post carefully it can be very positive. Its is hard to know what another is feeling unless you can get in their skin for awhile.
I admire people who are afflicted and overcome that affliction and are successful. I wish I had better words but I do understand what your message was. (maybe it wasn't for everyone)
Anyway keep em coming....
John
I know you meant well....but I really think you painted a negative picture of people with challenges and disabilities. I am in a wheelchair, and I don't feel "stuck". We have all the same gratitude, hope, ambitious as everyone does. Everyone has disabilities, some just aren't so visible. I love my life and am very grateful for every minute of it. Don't honor my life anymore than you honor anybody else's. Just another point of view.
Have a good weekend,
Debbie
That's what I was trying to point out as well!! :) I had people with disabilities email me and ask me to do a post about this! I'm disabled as well, so there was no offense meant by this! I even put it through email to others, and got high praise for it! Sorry if you were offended, as that was not my intention! Some mornings I can't even get out of bed or it hurts to get dressed, so I was saying how people should be grateful just to be able to face the day, and how much I admire the challenges people face! :)
Great Post Terry!
You never know what you've got till it's gone.
Joni Mitchell - "Big Yellow Taxi"
Yes, it was in my era.
I am an OZZY but my favourite was Neil Young. Now it's probably Eddy Vedder and PJ
I think as we get older we don't take things for granted as much as when we were younger.
Being diagnosed with diabetes has completely changed my life. How I eat,drink, exercise and so much more. Before I just took for granted that I would live forever. Now I know that there will be an end day so I want to prolong that as far away as possible.
Once again a great piece of writing.
Great post
Thank you!! :) I'm sorry to hear about your diabetes, as it's not an easy thing to live with! :( My mother-in-law has diabetes, and she has to take needles all the time, and her medicine costs way too much! I don't think I could handle it half as well! It's true people as they get older learn not to take so much for granted, but I have also know a lot of children who are more tolerant and grateful for what they have then a lot of adults in my life...lol Just sharing what has been on my mind, and wanted to honor members in the community who might have harder struggles than some of us, and my admiration to them! You as well, my friend..I think you must be my biggest fan..lol..thanks for that! :)
I never took anything for granted that mean you don't care I have always care about people and things,God Bless:))))
I never said people don't care! :) I just know how easy it is to take things for granted, and I admit, I have done that before as well!! :)
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It's great to come out of the light and see Terry. There are frequencies beyond the visible spectrum that we all are blind to!
Thank you, and very good way of wording it Mike! :) Thanks for reading, and your comment! :)