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This Is What I Gained When I Went Blind

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Dear Blindness,

As with all good and bad memories, the day you came into my life is a day I will never forget. After years of being able to see, imagine my surprise when you showed up.

At first, I hated you. You took so much away from me! Because of you, I would never drive a car again, I would never see the sunshine or the smile on my husband’s face. Because of you, I would no longer see the flowers blooming in the spring after a long hard winter. Because of you, I would no longer have a life.

Or so I thought.

But…

Because of you, I don’t worry about getting stressed out fighting with traffic.

Because of you I hear the smile in my husband’s voice.

Because of you I feel the warmth of the sun upon my face or the coolness of the rain against my skin.

Because of you, instead of looking for the color of the rose I actually take the time to smell it.

Because of you, dear Blindness, I’m no longer afraid to speak to strangers, and some of those strangers have become dear friends.

Because of you, I no longer sit on the side lines while others advocate for what is right. I’m leading the pack!

So, I have to say, dear Blindness, for everything you took and for all the anger and tears you caused, you gave me so much in return. You didn’t take my life; you just taught me a different way to live it. In a way, you helped me find the person deep inside I always was.

You gave me, me.

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Originally published: March 25, 2015
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