Thankful

This time of year, I am asked the question, “What are you thankful for?” quite often.

One of my friends sends me a written copy of his Sunday sermon on Saturday evening so that I might read it beforehand and be able to follow along as it is delivered live.  This week during his Thanksgiving sermon, he urges each person to write one thing that they are thankful for on a card and drop it in the offering basket.  And so, here I sit twelve hours in advance, contemplating which blessing that I might write on my card for Thanksgiving Sunday.

“What are you thankful for?”

Honestly, it doesn’t seem fair to limit the gratitude to one topic, but this isn’t my rodeo so I will work on narrowing it down to a concise answer.

Recently I ran into my friend Bernice from church.  Bernice asked how I was doing.  I replied that I was well and smiled when I said that “all is quiet at my house.”
(I do love a deaf joke…)  I was a little surprised when Bernice squinted at me with a furrowed brow and more or less sneered as she said, “but you have Cochlear implants, so you can hear.” 

Thank you, Bernice for clearing that up for me.

Technically, Bernice’s statement is correct.  Being a late-deafened adult, I quickly accepted the opportunity to have Cochlear implant surgery.  Having had a successful implant surgery, I can certainly hear some sounds, but speech comprehension and ‘hearing’ are two different things.  

To understand your spoken word, I typically need to see your face in an adequately lit environment as you speak so that the sounds I hear, combined with the lips I read, form a reasonable combination.  Believe me when I say that I am thankful for those moments when I am able to form this combination in a public setting.

Even with good lighting and a speaker who faces me when they speak, I am only likely to pick up on seventy-five percent of our conversation.   Add in masks, a speaker who looks away when they speak, ambient noise, or dimly lit circumstances and my understanding of your spoken word falls quickly back into the profoundly deaf category.

So, I am thankful that I have understanding friends who work tirelessly to speak clearly and slowly to me.  Who patiently repeat themselves when necessary.  Who have learned the ASL alphabet so that they can fingerspell when all else fails.

I am thankful to have a loving family who watches out for me 24/7.  Who go out of their way to be sure that I am included in family events, who order for me in restaurants, and who translate for me at doctors’ appointments.

But today, I think that the word I will write on my card is Vision.  Today I am thankful for the gift of sight.  I am grateful for the opportunity to see my friends, to be able to watch their facial expressions, and to read their lips.  I am grateful for the opportunity to communicate with them in any manner possible.

I am grateful for the opportunity to see each of my family members this Thanksgiving.   Thankful to be able to see how Teddy has grown since our last visit.  Thankful for the ability to see the love shared by each of these family members across multiple generations.

And yes…today I am thankful to be able to read Bernice’s lips as she reminds me that I can ‘hear’.

This Thanksgiving may God grant Bernice and each of you, the happiness that I have found in my many blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Your friend,

KBM
Kevin Medlin
kevin@mysilentpew.com