Sunday, January 16, 2011

This May Seem Strange

I apologize to my two friends for posting about a private meeting.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with two friends. They are deaf.... maybe? I don't know if they are HH, deaf , hearing or what level of hearing they have. What I do know is how good it feels to sit and have a really in depth conversation in sign. It feels so good to just relax and know they understand me. My signing skills have slipped away a bit maybe but this felt like home.

So we were "talking" about something important to all of us. There is a freedom when you sign. It allows for people to connect and focus in a way voice doesn't in my opinion. I notice when I am in my sign mode I turn off my ears.......

Yep, my daughter does it too. I will be speaking her name over and over and she doesn't turn to my voice if her brother is signing with her. Of course I am also signing and shouldn't depend on her ears at home but it really interesting to me that our ears learn to tune out the noise.

So today I felt a sense of "home". We have a deaf kid who is mainstreamed and rarely get to have that sense. We are the exotic family with the deaf kid.  With my friends today I was just a mom and friend.  I love how I can just look at my friends and focus on their feeling and thoughts. I really can't explain why ASL is so connecting.... I can't really explain why it feels like home..... I can just share that today I am grateful to have had a moment where I wasn't the mom of the deaf kid. I can only share that I am grateful  to have friends and today gave me a bit of something I have been craving.  Our family is different but that is a good thing.

5 comments:

  1. Understand and LOVE it that you do!

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  2. I grew up bilingual, however English was not one of these languages. When I came to the U.S. I worked so hard on assimilating! it took me a long time to become really fluent; I remember having one word for a thousand thoughts how limiting. Just in time to feel that I am home with my new country, my new home, my new language, my daughter was born deaf. Yeah! so I cried........for months. I cried because I had to learn another language yet!....although I am not fully fluent in ASL, I am starting to think in ASL. I spend a good hour a day teaching myself sign so that I can keep up with my kids. Home is when you are connected and ASL connects me the people dearest to my heart. At the end of the day when I am exhausted, I turn my voice off but communication still happens. I am loving my newest language, we'll see what life has in store for me next!
    colette

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  3. I am looking forward to learning ASL with my son. I enjoyed reading about how much you have gained by using it. Thanks.

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  4. Hello. I am a college student who up until recently never had to think about anything related to deafness at all - no one I know is deaf or particularly hard of hearing. But I have had to spend some time researching deaf culture for a class and I think have begun to come to a new level of understanding regarding what was once completely foreign to me.

    I just wanted to say that I've been following your blog for some weeks now because it helps me see things from a different, more personal perspective. I have a long way to go, but I think your insights have helped me to better understand what it is like living a life touched by deafness and the unique blessings and struggles that accompany it. I hope it doesn't seem odd that I'm coming out of nowhere to say this, but I wanted to thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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  5. David thanks for stopping by! I admire you for having an open mind and exploring this topic. Warm wishes to you!

    Colette thank you for sharing that!

    Mrs. Mayhem enjoy the ride!

    Thanks Don G

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