Aside from the annoying necessity of wearing earplugs when I swam, I remember little of having the tubes in my ears, or even when they were removed. My mom remembers it differently.
At the end of my senior year of high school, my youth pastor asked the parents of the seniors to write letters about their children to be read aloud at a special banquet. My mom wrote hers as a prayer to God. In it she shared, โWhen she had a hearing problem and required tubes in her ears I was sure that you were testing my strength. But in reality, she would now hear sounds never before heard….โ She may never know the real truth of that statement.
We live in a time that panders to our senses, imploring us to dive in head first and drown in our abilities to smell, see, touch, taste, and hear. Inundated with the constant barrage on our senses, we lose our appreciation of them. Like my graphic designer counterpart often warns: โIf everything is bold, then nothing is bold.โ
Is your world all in bold? Or do you take the time to notice the subtle nuances around you?
Because my mom dared to notice the subtle nuances in her life, my world is alive with sounds. I love nothing more than to close my eyes and take in the song of my surroundings, zeroing in on one piece and then another, all the while appreciating the whole. There is no silence here. Even the quiet rings in my ears. Listening brings me peace, a stillness in my soul. Whether I realized it or not at the time, those tubes changed my life.
Take a minute today to hone in on one of your senses. Enjoy it. Marvel in it. Let the wonder of it change your point of view. Let it change you. I dare you.
My daughter was born with hearing problems and we discovered this recently after a noticeable delay in her speech. At first, I was so numb and kept questioning why my baby had to suffer this loss of words and the frustration that comes with it. However, this whole experience brought us much closer as a family and I do hope we overcome it and remember it as something from a distant past that puts a wise smile on our face that says, It was all going to be all right…
She’s much better now and catching up wonderfully.
I’m so glad to hear that she’s doing so well! Thank you so much for your comments. It’s nice to know that other people go through the same things. You’re not alone. *We’re* not alone.
Ruben Bales…
Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really looking forward to read more. Really Cool….
I think too many things in my world may be a tinge more bold than preferred. I love your thoughts ๐
Thank you, friend.