April 29 - Celebrating Volunteers

April 29 brings us to the end of a busy week. It was National volunteer Week and many people were involved in organizing and participating in events and activities to celebrate.  Many thanks to all of those who were involved.

Lyle and I were fortunate to be invited to several celebrations. Of course, one of these was in recognition of our participation in the local White Cane Support Group. It was a great evening with so many committed volunteers in attendance from community groups ranging from Boy Scouts to Victim Services to environmental, drama and sports groups. It was an inspirational evening and I think that most of us came away with renewed energy and enthusiasm for our various causes.

The picture with this post is of four of us from our local support group. Lyle and I are seated in front and Doreen and Lynn, two dedicated volunteers, are standing behind us.  In the foreground you can see the red tablecloth set prior to the meal and in the background there are two screens showing the action on the stage. It was a memorable evening.

White Cane support group

April 21 - Remembering

This Easter, we shared a meal with our good friends, Brian and Marilyn.  I’m not quite sure how it happened but at some point, the conversation drifted towards the first days of my vision loss. Although we have known Brian and Marilyn for a number of years, they have only known me as a visually impaired person and the topic of my initial loss of sight has never before come up. I was surprised at the memories and the accompanying emotions that the conversation evoked.

My sight changed rather dramatically in 1986. It seems like a lifetime ago now but when we spoke over the dinner table of some of the events of that time, it was almost as if it was all happening again yesterday. 

1986 was a year of a roller coaster ride emotionally. There was initial shock of course and lots of tears. I don’t think that I ever felt angry about the loss of sight but at times I did despair trying to figure out how I would be able to get on with my life and all the changes that came with the loss. Probably the feeling that came to the forefront was one of confusion. I can only say, thank goodness for my family and close friends.

I remember at the time that one of the questions people sometimes asked was whether I thought that it was better to lose one’s sight when one was young or when one was older. I found the question totally irrelevant. I was young certainly, but how did I know what an older person might be feeling, and anyway, who can choose when  these things are likely to happen. I don’t know if there is an easier time for adversity to rear its head. Some things are just beyond our control. The only thing we can control is how we react to the circumstances of our lives.

While it has been thirty-one years this Easter since I became suddenly and irrevocably legally blind, I  can remember so many details of the days, weeks and months of that year. I’m not sure when I stopped thinking about the passage of time and of how things might have been if only...but time does heal. In some ways I can appreciate what happened to me as a learning curve. The experience gave me a new way of looking at my life, and I hope, a greater empathy with others who have had similar life challenges.

April 13 - Saving Our Eyes

When it comes to protecting our eyes, there have been a number of changes over the years.  For instance, I think that I must have been in my mid-teens before I bought my first pair of sunglasses, and then, I think it might have been more to look cool rather than to protect my eyes from sunlight. Lyle also doesn’t remember wearing sunglasses until he was in his mid-teens. When our own children were small, we did buy them sunglasses but the glasses were more of the Mickey Mouse variety. I don’t remember paying any attention to UV protection.

Fortunately, now that our children are parents themselves, they are far more aware of the importance of protecting the eyes of their own children.  Our grandchildren, although under the age of two, both have sunglasses that they wear outside on sunny days.

In recent years there has been much research about macular degeneration.  Although there has been no one definitive cause, sun damage can be a factor, one which can be avoided. These days babies of a very young age can wear protective glasses. I think that they also look pretty cute!  I am attaching a picture of our grandson, Benji. He is sitting in his car seat ready for an outdoors excursion and of course, his mother, Laura, has him wearing his tiny sunglasses. Because Benji has such an amazing smile, I am also posting a picture of him without his glasses so that you can see what a cute baby he is!

Protecting our eyes from the sun is an important step in eye care health and safety. Be sure that your sunglasses give complete protection. The wrap around variety is best. Make sure too that the glasses have UV protection. Buying good sunglasses is definitely a worthwhile investment in the protection of our eyes. 

 

Benji with his sunglasses

 

Benji

April 5 - New Shoes

If you can see the picture with this post, you might be wondering what it has to do with White Cane Connections and vision loss. The picture is of Lyle and I holding hands with our fourteen-month old granddaughter and walking down the sidewalk. Over the past month, Lexi has been taking her first steps and last week, her mom bought her a new pair of shoes. The shoes have given her new confidence and with spring finally here, it is great to be walking outside.

Now to answer the question. What does this have to do with my limited vision? For the first year of Lexi’s life, I haven’t felt comfortable in holding her and walking around. Certainly, I haven’t entertained the thought of holding her and walking up and down stairs or venturing outside where unanticipated obstacles might be in my pathway. Anyway, when I am outside I am nearly always using my white cane and that doesn’t go so well with holding a baby in the other arm.

Now that Lexi is walking, and walking slowly enough that I can also walk with her, it is a brand new chapter in both our lives. I can also take those baby steps and not worry about falling and dropping that precious little bundle of joy. Of course, I know that the day will come all too soon when she will be walking and running way more quickly than she is doing now, but perhaps that is when she might be the one in charge and take my hand to show me the way. In the meantime, I intend to enjoy this particular stage of our lives and count our many blessings.

Lyle, Lexi and Sue