Seeing Things Differently

There's a certain something special about looking a person in the eye and knowing that you are looking at the way they see the world. It is a beautiful thing....and an especially special thing if you are looking at the eyes of a child as they are soaking up everything that surrounds them and forming their own ideas about the workings of the universe.

This feeling has certainly been a parenthood perk. Even in raising a child with very low vision, we have cherished the way that Camille sees the world through her eyes in her very own way. However, it dawned on me this morning as I watched her fingers work their way across the beautiful simplicity of embossed braille, that I love her long, dainty fingers in that special way that I love looking at the eyes of others. Her beautiful hands provide her insight into the world in ways that ours never will.

Camille and I just got back from an incredible trip to Detroit to see her retinal specialist. As fringe benefits, we got to meet up with two families whom we've come to love long distance. (Love you, Yael, Sammy, and Noah!!) Camille got to shop at Seedlings where braille books are produced for children. We got to meet with our dear friend, Paula, at ROPARD and explore IKEA for as long as our hearts desired.

I don't know what it was, but this connection with Braille-reading friends, people who cheer for Braille readers, others who use canes, and a book of riddles written in braille, have all-of- the- sudden lighted a fire for Braille in her formerly print-lovin,braille-lesslovin-but-will-do-it-if-I-have-to heart.

As we sat in the airport for our flight back to Omaha, Camille's fingers dancing over the Braille riddles and giggles emerging from that smiling face, I acutely noticed a twenty-youngish guy with rods in his ears and an iTouch staring with this incredible smile on his face as he watched her read. He asked, "How old is she?"

I reply, "Five."

"That," he said, "is just really amazing. When I was young, I had a friend who was blind. He tried to teach me to even read Braille by sight but I could just never seem to get it." We went on to have a very heartfelt discussion.

Thank you, young cool dude, for taking the time to appreciate my girl. Thank you for noticing that not only is this amazing girl an amazing reader for her age, but she is amazing in print AND braille. Thank you for letting her happiness infect you. Thank you for believing in her instantly, instead of making her prove herself to you. Oh that the world were always this way.

Needless to say, as she was reading "Riddles and More Riddles" this morning, these happy thoughts filled my head and I saw the world through her beautiful fingers.