October 23, 2017
It takes a village.
When the world turns in a sharp alternate direction from your intended path, you often have some serious choices to make. You have to dig deep to handle the stress, the frustration and loss if they are present. Handling all of this is infinitely easier when you have a village.
I recently tore my retina after a rough hit in my eye during a soccer game. That event ushered in a weekend of uncertainty and subsequent surgery. The reality of the procedures and pain was surprisingly minimally irritating to me while the future of a world without soccer was depressing.
What transpired over the next few weeks was an awareness of how special life is when you have a village of love. The rallying support of an amazingly caring wife and concerned children coupled with other family and friends who are there yesterday for you is beyond description.
During this time, I paused to think of the single parents or seniors that have little to no support during their trials. How painful to imagine the emotional mess on top of the physical reality.
My stoic nature always falls on the " I am fine path ", where in reality, being partially blind for 8 weeks is challenging to say the least. Awarenesses abound regarding hearing acuity, depth perception, life habits, baseline hyperactive behavior and much more as the world halts for a defined period of time. Life's curve balls offer opportunity to understand what being visually impaired means and how this changes one's view of social supports that become necessary in the blink of an eye.
These ramblings are really a shout out to the givers. You know who you are. You care and give till it hurts. You sacrifice while others watch. Keep it up. You are witnessed and loved for it.
To all of us. Look for the needs in those that are less fortunate than we are and are in need.
For Nicole,
Dr. M
