Count Your Blessings

Monday, 11 Sep 2006 | Observations

I recently stopped by a Lenscrafters at our local mall. Erin wanted to go in to check on some frames she had seen there previously. Unfortunately they had discontinued stocking the cute pair she had admired in the past.

I happened to notice a a poster on the wall while waiting for Erin. It was a photograph of some children with glowing smiles on their faces. Their joy leaped off the paper loud and clear. These were underprivileged children who were ecstatic to be able to see clearly thanks to the work of the Lions Club. Generous people had donated their old frames so these precious children could enjoy the gift of sight.

It was so touching to see how happy they were. I have often felt sorry for myself and complained because I am not a good candidate for eye correction surgery. I don't know how many times I felt dejected because I would have to wear glasses all my life. I had tried contact lenses, but they made my eyes too dry since I work on a computer all the time.

Those smiling faces on the poster made me realize for the first time how lucky I am to have glasses to correct my vision. What a blessing it is that there is the technology to correct my vision and I can afford to own corrective lenses. I felt ashamed how ungrateful I had been, but mostly I felt truly blessed to own glasses in a way I had never experienced before. That realization brought a tear of joy to my eye.

Comments

Landon said at 12:49 PM on Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Touching story...can I add to it?

Our adopted daughter was born with bilateral cataracts and the surgeon at Children's Hospital had concerns about her eyes ever being able to see. On top of that her eyes were the smallest he had ever done surgery on, or ever will he said.

To make a long story fit here...six surgeries later she is not only wearing glasses, but can manipulate her world quite well and may be a candidate for new technology in about 5 years to possibly put implants in her eyes. Currently she has no lenses or lens tissue left inside her eyes due to infant cellular growth (cataracts would just grow right back).

She is 20 months old this week and we are so blessed to have her in our family (her full sibling older brother too) and have her eyesight restored to what it is today. She keeps her glasses on all day and pushes them up as needed.

I thought it would be ironic...being a photographer taking photos of things she may never see, but now she should have fairly good eyesight at some point, and what the future holds is yet to unfold.

disneymike said at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Landon - Thank you for sharing your daughter's story. I'm so glad for what they have been able to do so far and I'll be praying that she will be able to enjoy your photography and perhaps become a photographer herself someday in the future.

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