This quote (given by someone who was blind and deaf) has inspired me....how often do we take for granted the "marvelous richness of human experience?" To be able to see a butterfly, a flower, a beautiful sunset, a baby's smile? To be able to hear "Help me!" the smack of a 2 year old's kiss, a whistle blown over and over, a 4 year old learning how to play the harmonica, the windchime, the sound of rain at night.
At 19 months old Helen was sick with a very high fever. When the fever broke, she was left deaf and blind. My heart goes out to the child being thrown into a dark and silent world. I also feel for her parents....what a hard thing to see your baby that by that time would be walking, running, talking, and learning all about her world go through this. We have been sick this winter....we have been so blessed in years passed to be so healthy and strong. This winter we were hit with about everything that went around and were continually fighting off one thing or another. I am so grateful for tylenol - when fevers rise in a little one, it is so comforting to be able to give them some tylenol to break that fever and help them feel better. I'm also so grateful for antibiotics when they are needed. What the Kellers would have given for something like that!
Vaccinations are another thing I'm grateful for tonight. So much of the human experience throughout the ages has had to get through really nasty disease that took children young and so many in the prime of life. You never knew when Polio would strike, Malaria, Small Pox, Measles, Mumps, the list goes on.....
By the time she was 6, Helen Keller had about 60 signs to communicate with her family. Anne Sullivan became Helen's teacher when she was 7. Helen's family found Anne through a School for the Bind where Anne had been a student herself as she was visually impaired.
Helen went on to become an author, political activist, and lecturer. Of all the excuses to want to be hidden away from people all your life - to sit and not have to communicate with someone because you can't hear them or see them......what a spirit of courage she had! The way she expresses herself in her writing is beautiful. Although I don't agree with everything she fought for, namely socialism, she was dedicated to her causes, and for that I salute her.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart" -Helen Keller.
To read Helen's story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller
VIDEO: Happy Girls. This was taken awhile ago. Silver used to go around singing "happy! Happy! Happy!" While bobbing her head up and down :)
VIDEO: We borrowed a puppy from Paca for the day.
Here is Silver kissing to call the puppy to her.
VIDEO: Silver riding her pink unicorn :)
I LOVE SNOW!
Beautiful!
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| Our Faithful Winter Friends These little beauties stayed with us all through the Cold! |
River playing with the soap while washing the dishes.
Here she has drawn a heart in the soap.
Waving goodbye to Daddy.
We usually go outside to wave goodbye, but on Cold days, we stay inside :)
River and Silver both run as fast as they can down the sidewalk to wave goodbye to Daddy.
His truck just leaving for work in the distance.
Silver balancing on a little chair to wash dishes.
"The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome." -Helen Keller
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart" -Helen Keller.
I love the one of Silver balancing on the little chair to do dishes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reminder Karin! Hope to visit with you soon!
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