Continue reading “From On Top of the World to Reality: Transition Home”
Author: joy
Guide Dogs for the Over-Thinkers (aka. Week 2 at GDB)
I procrastinated getting a guide dog for about 2 years, turning down 3 different training dates offered to me after being accepted to the program, all because of fear.
My fears? (in order)
Poop. Allergies. Dog Hair. Drool.
None of these 4 excuses that I spent 730 days fixating on ended up being issues. Continue reading “Guide Dogs for the Over-Thinkers (aka. Week 2 at GDB)”
I Believe I Can Fly (summary of First Week at GDB)
“What are you looking for in a guide dog?”
“Um, Well, a smallish sized dog who is calm and has a drier mouth, maybe a yellow lab although color isn’t as important. Oh, and I want a dog who is super fast.”
I could tell Roja met my criteria from day 1, even though bonding has continued to be challenging. I’m now in my second week of training, and I still find myself feeling jealous of other students and their constantly playful, cuddling dogs. Yes, Roja, gives “hugs” with her whole body and loves playing “tug” and occasionally rests her soft head on my lap, but these signs of affection are definitely on her terms, intermittently, when she feels like it! She still moves away when I reach to pet her head, and I’m still learning what makes her tick. Continue reading “I Believe I Can Fly (summary of First Week at GDB)”
Meet Roja: Day 1 of Training at GDB
You know how some days can just fly by, to the point where you can’t even figure out what you did? And then there are those other days, those 24-hour periods that are so thick with events that it seems several months have passed overnight. I’ve experienced this during a weekend of silence at a Trappist monastery, and on several short-term mission trips over the years, and today, at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, CA, during my first day of training. Continue reading “Meet Roja: Day 1 of Training at GDB”
White Cane in Hand (a parody of Green Eggs and Ham)
The following is a parody of my favorite Dr. Seuss book, describing my hesitancy to use my cane, before trying it but then my relieved delight when I realize it’s actually pretty helpful to have around!
I do not like white cane in hand. I do not like it, Joy I am!
Would you use it at a park?
Could you use it in the dark?
I could not, would not at a park.
I could not, would not, in the dark. I do not like white cane in hand. I do not like it, Joy I am!
Continue reading “White Cane in Hand (a parody of Green Eggs and Ham)”
Peripheral Hearing
My aunt Maureen has a quality that I absolutely envy. Actually, the word envy might not be quite accurate. I would probably agree to give up a few small body parts in exchange for this ability…..not any major part, but probably a pinky or maybe a baby toe. Continue reading “Peripheral Hearing”
Caged
I’m not sure why the conversation made me weep only seconds after hanging up the phone. Was it because he was calling from his room at a nursing home that I could barely bring myself to set foot in?
The content of the conversation wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He told me how the pop machine ate his quarters and how the laundry service never returns his handkerchiefs and even lost a pair of his pants. He said he was wearing the Chicago Bears sweatshirt my mom gave him for Christmas and assured me he would never send that to the laundry. Continue reading “Caged”
Live the Life You Want: Advice for Parenting Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired Tip #8
Tip #8: Live Your Life and Allow Your Child to do the Same
With July upon us, I couldn’t resist squeezing this final tip into the series!
All of our tips are meant to be incorporated into your vibrant, rich lives. They are not meant to be at the forefront of your mind or schedule at all times. Focus on the approach you’d like to take and the advice that seems to make sense for your child, integrate it into your lives, and then move forward.
Seek Out Mentors: Advice for Parenting Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired Tip #7
Tip #7: Seek Out Mentors
My very first mentor was an attorney from Utah. Mormon. Married, with children and grandchildren.
I was a 24-year-old teacher from the Midwest, entering a Master’s program, newly married and just on the cusp of adult life.
How to Talk About Blindness: Advice for Parenting Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired Tip #5
Tip #5: Talk About Blindness in Positive Ways in Everyday Conversation
Your child’s blindness doesn’t have to be the elephant in the room, even if your child struggles to talk about it. I think it’s possible to help normalize a tough topic when you find ways to bring it into casual conversation. While you don’t want your child’s eyes to be the thing you’re constantly talking about and obsessing over, you also don’t want it to be the thing you never bring up.