Along the journey towards the greater, there are many small, daily steps to better understand oneself, God, and others. This is one of my “daily steps”.
I am grateful for hearing loss.⠀
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For some, that may sound odd. I mean why be #grateful for something that might single my kids out? Why be grateful for something that makes traditional classroom learning harder? Why be grateful for something that others may refer to as “suffering” or “a disability”.⠀
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But I am. I’m grateful for my three little brown-eyed, brown-haired carbon copies of their father that often get mistaken for triplets (one is older I swear). I’m even grateful that it appears they share one thing in common – even though how it presents is different for each one. My oldest son will wear hearing aids his whole life, and I have no idea if he one day will be completely #deaf. My twins have mild loss in lower frequencies- so far it doesn’t affect their learning and doesn’t currently necessitate hearing aids. I have no idea if this will change.⠀
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Yet still I’m grateful for #hearingloss because it’s a part of our identity now. It’s not something they are suffering with or something that requires an “Aw, I’m so sorry.” I think it’s something that not only unites my boys in a very unique bond but also hopefully increases their #compassion, #understanding, and #inclusion of others. ⠀
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I hope it does for them because it has done at least that much for me.⠀
Fred Rogers once said “Part of the problem with the word ‘disabilities’ is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can’t feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren’t able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.”⠀
My boys love and laugh and lean into life with all they’ve got. And though they often drive me crazy, they also teach me a whole lot.⠀
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So, I am grateful for hearing loss because it is now a part of the fabric of who we are.. and I hope and pray one day my boys are grateful for it as well.⠀
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What are you grateful for this week?⠀
