March 16 - Change

This past week I was invited to be the guest speaker at a support group meeting for people with low vision. I often speak at these kinds of meetings and I enjoy the experience.  Preparing for these occasions gives me pause for reflection and I always appreciate the opportunity to listen to the stories that other people tell of their journey with vision loss.

The meeting last week was no exception. The beginning of my presentation focused on the idea of change and how vision loss can disrupt and change the normality of our lives. I found myself remembering some of my own feelings when overnight my sight altered from 20/20 sight to being legally blind. The change was fairly traumatic to say the least. Truly I couldn’t believe that this had happened to me. There followed the usual journey with optometrists and ophthalmologists and along the channel of grieving – denial, sadness, anger, frustration and confusion.

All this was many years ago, and now those raw emotions have been mellowed by time. I have found my own way to acceptance but I need to remind myself that we are all at different stages in the journey. Speaking with individuals at support group meetings helps me relive my own memories and gives me more empathy with others. Coping with change ends up being a personal decision but the adjustment is easier with support from friends and family.

Lyle snapped the following picture as I was giving my talk. I am holding one of my books – Out of Sight. 

Sue at support group