Welcome back dear friends! Happy Thursday to you! I hope you got a chance to read the first part of Brittany's story yesterday. Today she shares how she has grown through those challenges and difficulties. Please feel free to leave her a comment in the comment section below. I'm sure she would appreciate any encouragement you would like to share with her. Thanks my friends!
And now, the conclusion......
"For a while I thought that was the end of the story. I thought the same things would keep repeating over and over. But thankfully, in this case at least, I was wrong. That story took place about four or five years ago, after our dog chewed up my first pair of hearing aids. And because they are so expensive, I wasn't able to get another pair for a while. So, during that time, life was pretty bleak, as I'm sure you can tell from the previous story.
Thankfully, I'm not the same person I was then. I've grown a lot, (not necessarily in inches) and I've learned a lot as well. Despite how hard it is to deal with hearing impairment, which I know is even more difficult for those who are completely deaf, it has, and continues, to teach me a great deal. There are many things I doubt I would have learned otherwise. And I think, for the most part, I've come to accept that this is who I am. Just as having hazel eyes are a part of me, so this is too. Of course, that doesn't make it any less difficult, and some days I still get discouraged, angry even, and all those stupid questions come flying at me again. So, I get mad, and sometimes I feel like crying, but then I remember all the things it's taught me. I let go and move on. Now I'm even able to appreciate my hearing loss, in a way, thinking of it as a sort of strange blessing. Because even though I don't have all the answers, and I probably never will, that's okay. God does. If He wants me to know, He'll tell me. I'll just have to be content with that. Most of the time it's easier said than done, but I'm trying.
Having to deal with hearing loss has helped to shape me into the person I am today. It's made me more compassionate and given me an understanding of others who are hearing impaired. The kind of understanding that can only come from personal experience. It's helped me be more patient with those who struggle with similar issues. And though I probably won't ever master this one, it's helped me see that sometimes things happen that I may never know the reason for. All I can do is try my best to accept that God allowed it for a reason, that He'll get me through the tough stuff, as long as I seek Him. He'll give me the strength to make it. I'll even be able to enjoy the scenery along the way, though sometimes I think I fail at that. But that's okay, because I'm still learning. I'm learning more and more how to deal with it. Learning that it's okay to let others know that I can't hear them. It's okay to ask them to speak up or repeat themselves. And I'm learning that sometimes I will inevitably encounter people who are ignorant and don't understand. I have to realize that it's not my fault when someone makes mean, inconsiderate comments or remarks. I have to try my best not to let it affect me. I know the things they say aren't true. They're just being immature and need to grow up. I won't waste my time on them. There are more important things to spend time thinking about.
Finally, I'm learning that it isn't so much about the final outcome as much as it is about the journey and the lessons I learn along the way, and the things God is teaching me. I'm learning not to get so caught up in my problems and where I'm at right now, that I miss out on His many blessings. It's a long trip, so I may as well try to enjoy myself along the way."
This brings us to the end of Brittany's story. I hope it has been a blessing to you my friends. I am so very proud of the young woman Brittany has become. She has inspired and encouraged me as I've watched her grow over the years. There have been many difficulties, but there have also been many blessings. I am one very blessed mama!
The time Brittany spoke of where our dog chewed up one of her hearing aids was one of those situations where the realization of what happened makes you feel physically sick. We were sitting in the living room watching a movie, when I happened to hear this crunching noise. I immediately looked under the coffee table only to discover our dog, Zoe, chewing on something. I asked Brittany where her hearing aids were, and as she looked over at the coffee table, I could feel this horrible sense of dread come over me as I immediately knew what Zoe was chewing on. I quickly bent down to grab the hearing aid from the dog. Thankfully she had only chewed on one, but the damage had already been done, and although it wasn't completely destroyed, it was beyond repair. The look on Brittany's face could only be described as one of deep regret. She started apologizing profusely for leaving her hearing aids on the coffee table, and I knew she was truly sorry, but all I could do was cry. I knew how hard it had been, financially, for us to get those hearing aids because our insurance did not cover the cost. We were already struggling financially, so when I saw how damaged the hearing aid was, I knew there was no way we were going to be able to get another one anytime soon. I walked in my bedroom where my husband was, feeling completely and totally overwhelmed in knowing that we would not be able to buy a replacement hearing aid, which meant Brittany would not have the hearing assistance she needed. My husband immediately asked me what was wrong when he saw how upset I was. I told him what had happened and he came over and held me until the tears stopped. We were not able to get Brittany a new set of hearing aids for about a year, and even in that short amount of time, the cost had increased significantly. It's really sad that people pay a tremendous amount of money to have insurance, yet the cost of something like hearing aids, which are desperately needed for the hearing impaired, are not covered. Something needs to change.
Although we all struggle with different challenges in this life, each of our stories are important. Every chapter of our lives matter. The challenges we go through are what has shaped us and helped to make us the person we are today. We are not alone in the things we go through. We may often times feel that way, but God is always there. Until next time my friends, be blessed!
"Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well." ~Josh Billings
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." ~Helen Keller
No comments:
Post a Comment