It is extremely easy to go about each waking day without much (or any) thought as to our five senses. If we are born with a healthy body, it doesn’t take long to forget what it was like to experience a lot of things for the first time.
Getting up to balance and ride a bike, running down a sidewalk on a summer evening, jumping into a pool, eating a fresh cinnamon bun, smelling perfume, looking out across a tall vantage point, and hearing what is now your favorite song.
These are all blessings and gifts from God, none of which should be taken lightly.
The gift of sight is a blessing from God. Share on XI’ve met and spoken to blind people before, but I never thought I would be as impressed as I was when I met Julie.
Julie Can Warm Your Heart
Right after Thanksgiving in 2013 until Christmas Eve 2013, I was working with UPS as a driver helper. My job was to run most of the packages we had in the truck each day to the corresponding doors and back.
One day, during our rounds in one apartment complex, my driver let me know that I would be bringing a box to a blind woman.
Here’s where my mind began to really run, and consequently where things got interesting.
As I got up to her floor, I saw her door open just as I was getting ready to knock on it.
She offered up a cheery “Hello!” as I approached her room. I spoke my “Hello!” in return.
I immediately saw the look of confusion on her face. Hearing a different voice than what she was used to was very surprising. I briefly explained who I was and that my driver was down in the truck, still helping out.
Realizing that things were alright, her face shifted to a smile. “Oh! Well thank you very much!”
“You bet!” I replied.
“Happy holidays!” she returned. I responded with a “Thanks, you too!” and continued back down the stairs.
The Power Of A Few Words
First of all, my heart nearly melted at the sincerity and warmth that she conveyed to me in those short seconds, without truly knowing me at all.
Second of all, my mind immediately flooded with thoughts. It struck me once again how incredibly good-hearted blind people are. Those without sight are unable to see anything, and are thus unable to judge people by looks.
I began thinking about how often those of us with sight judge people simply based on their appearance, usually whether we know it or not.
The Truth About Sight
We size people up through our eyes and then in our minds, most of the time before we even know them. We could pass hundreds of people on the street and not truly know a thing about them.
We don’t know how much money they make, what their family is like, what they’re struggling with, what their joys are, or anything else. Most of what matters in life cannot be obtained through sight.
Most of what matters in life cannot be obtained through sight. Share on XSo the more powerful and impactful thought is that blind people instantly have to start making meaningful and legitimate conversation with you if they want to know anything about you, other than how your voice sounds.
The key here is that many blind people, whether they know it or not, actually have an upper hand when it comes to relationships. They have no choice but to dive right into what matters – the heart, what it holds, and the journeys of life that we are all going through.
So what does this mean for you, the reader? A couple things:
1- Be more willing to have important, sincere conversations.
Don’t leave it up to anyone else to start it – if there’s something that you want to know, something that you’re excited about, or even something that’s bugging you, bring it up to the person or people it is relevant to.
2- Remind yourself that all people are going through something difficult.
Physicality is not the end of the line. People dress the way they do for a reason. That reason is legitimate to them, but is not grounds on which someone should immediately be judged.
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