Linking up with
Five minute friday with Lisa-Jo Baker over at
Every Friday Lisa posts a word to be used as a subject that we can then take five minutes to write about, unedited, without thinking, stopping when the five minutes is up. Here is my "Five Minutes".
Todays word: See
When I read that the word for today was "see", my thoughts immediately went to a friend named Tracy.
At the age of 16 Tracy's doctor told her that due to a disease,
she would be totally blind
within a year.
She and her brother took that year and looked at everything, everything they could, anywhere they could. They left school, and traveled, small little one or two day trips here and there.
They woke early to watch the sunrise. They stayed up late to count stars and learn about the constellations.
They chased butterflies.
They went swimming in the lake. They went to every museum, library, and movie they had time and money to see.
Then... she went blind.
When I met her she had taught herself to sew and was well known for her skills at fitting and altering wedding dresses, making custom quilts, and doing alterations for people with special needs.
Tracy was happy earning a living doing something she loved to do. One day I asked her "Tracy, do you miss being able to see the world?"
She replied:
"No, being blind has afforded me
the opportunity to stop and listen,
to smell, and to touch.
I still see the world,
just not with my eyes."
Whew... That was powerful. Thank you so much for sharing this story. I need to remember to appreciate the senses God gave me and not be blind just because I can see. Man. Thank you again! {Coming over from FMF}
ReplyDeletea lovely lovely story, and one that we should all think long and hard about... my mother lost her sight 2 years before she died and it was so hard on her because she was also bed ridden and dependent on daddy for everything. if only we had the gadgets then that we have now. she did have a walkman to listen to books and a tv to listen to... thanks for sharing this story
ReplyDeleteOh, Jackie. This story hit me hard. So powerful. Thank you for sharing it. What a reminder never to take for granted this ability to SEE and also to recognize that earthly limitations are a way to rely more fully on our Creator and to give thanks anyway. So happy to have met you through FMF.
ReplyDeletesuch a powerful story!! i lost my vision once due to optic neuritis because i have MS, i was not so brave!!
ReplyDeleteGod's grace is always sufficient. Amazing grace! We have so much to be thankful for!
ReplyDeletewow...that was amazing and i can kind of relate to that because I have little peripheral vision. I'm so thankful for the vision I do have. Tracy's story is so encouraging and beautiful. "we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen." 2 Cor. 4:18 Thanks for your post!
ReplyDeleteAwesome story and so proud of her not letting it get her down, but taking what she had left and expanding those. My son was born deaf, and he has never known what he is missing. He uses all the other senses he has and is so great at so many things. He taught me so much. Like, its not what you look at, its what you see. That is why I do photography. To show others what we see. Have a great weekend.
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