Hearing Impairment

I'm currently binge watching ER - an old TV show from the 90s that I used to watch.  There are many different story lines with the different doctors and interns who rotate through the show.  The one that struck me, stuck with me, is the one where Dr Peter Benton has a baby who's born prematurely and they discover that he's hearing impaired.  There he sits with his son on his lap and an audiologist is testing his hearing range by playing sounds and it brought back so many of my own memories. 

My daughter is also hearing impaired.  At 18 months, she wasn't learning any language and we suspected there was an issue.  Finally, at two years old, and after many tests, she was fitted with hearing aids.  I spent many hours in the office of our audiologist as I listened to those tones, testing the hearing of my daughter, and many more hours with a speech and language therapist named Marsha who was a wonderful woman and teacher, and definitely saved my sanity! 

What I recognized in the actions of Dr Benton on the show was that he was having a difficult time adjusting to the new information about his son not being "perfect".   My daughter's father had those same kind of reactions.  Isn't it funny how men and women react differently?  I felt such relief at having the problem identified and on it's way to being corrected and my ex's instinct was to deny the evidence that there was something wrong.   Just different ways of dealing, but at the time, I was very angry with his reaction.  

Just a few reflections on something that happened many years ago.  The good news is that my daughter has overcome many obstacles and now works for a hospital in the sleep center.  She is an amazing wife and mother!  And I'm very proud of her accomplishments.  

Today's Walk

I've been sort of forcing myself to get out and walk at the local parks on Saturday, my day off.  Last weekend it was Riparian, got some nice shots of birds.  The pelicans were there this time!  It isn't every year that I catch them while they're stopping over.  Not sure where they're from, or where they're going, but I like it when they're at the park when I'm there! 

Today, it was Freestone Park and boy was it busy!!!!!   There is loads of parking there, and most of it was full!  Usually it's much quieter, but I think folks are tired of keeping kids cooped up.  :)  I caught a few photos:  ducks, egrets, and a green heron were hanging around today! 

Family is Precious

When I was growing up, Leave It To Beaver and The Brady Bunch were two favorite TV shows about family, along with Little House on the Prairie and Happy Days.  I'm sure there are a few more that I enjoyed, but these stick out in my mind.  What brings these to mind is right now I'm hooked on bingeing 7th Heaven on Hulu lately.  I watch these episodes and it stirs up emotions!  

With seven kids in their family, there's always something going on.  And unlike the typical sitcom or drama-com, not every episode ends with a happy ending.  Things work out, just not always with everyone happy in the long run.   Which is why I probably like this show right now. 

I see the mix ups and scrapes that the kids get in, reminding me of what my own kids did from time to time.  What makes the difference is  ... well, I"m not quite sure what the difference is.  But what comes to mind is how a family interacts, how they all get along, even during the worst case scenarios that come up during a show.  

At my age, I think I'm missing that part of life.  When your kids grow up, they move on with their own lives and a part of your own seems missing, mostly because you spent so many years raising them.  And then you look around and realize that your space is your own, your messes are your own, and it's OK! 

If you're in the middle of raising your kids, treasure these moments, it passes much too soon!  Remember that even in the worst of circumstances, you still have each other and the love you share.