I got such a flood of reactions to my post “Memoirs of a Blind Mom.” Nearly all were very positive and encouraging. I did however receive an email from a friend of my expressing great concern for me. Perhaps this post sounded like a cry for help or that I am struggling with some kind of depression. Neither of which are true. So, I will reiterate again that I wrote this post as a way to share something that is hard for me sometimes. While I don’t think we need to always be complaining or focused on how hard things are, I do think it’s helpful sometimes to admit our struggles and weaknesses. It is when we do this that we are able to start the process of learning from them and transforming them into strengths.
I wanted to end that post in a positive way by sharing how blessed I truly am despite some of the struggling feelings I have from time to time, but that wasn’t the purpose of the post. That post was designed to be real and authentic. It felt a little therapeutic to write it all and share it. Glossing over the hard things to share how blessed I am felt a bit to me like devaluing the hard things that I’ve learned from or that push me out of my comfort zone to teach me or humble me.
I’m not amazing or courageous. I’m just trying to do the best I can with what I’ve been dealt. And, if I can inspire or encourage someone along the way, so be it. That is why I shared it.
I truly am so blessed. First, I have a strong relationship with my Savior which gives me strength through the hard times, and provides countless blessings. . Second, I have great family and friends supporting me. I’ve been blessed in so many ways. I’ve been blessed to learn good blindness skills that give me confidence and abilities to problem solve solutions when faced with a challenge. I’ve been blessed with access to resources and technology that make things accessible. I have wonderful friends who call me up out of the blue to offer me rides to run errands or just to invite our family to join them at the park or beach that day without being solicited to do so. I could go on and on. Even though sometimes my blindness is a challenge, I’ve also had some great opportunities and unique learning experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, which make me appreciate my circumstances.
So, for what it’s worth, I wanted to make sure those reading this blog knew that that post wasn’t meant to be a pity party even though it may have sounded that way. It wasn’t meant to be a way of flashing the badge of a marter on my arm for sympathy, nor was it to toot my own horn to announce how “awesome” I am because “my life is so hard.” Thanks again for reading and sending your words of encouragement and support along.
