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.
Understand and LOVE it that you do!
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeletecolette
I am looking forward to learning ASL with my son. I enjoyed reading about how much you have gained by using it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHello. 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
David thanks for stopping by! I admire you for having an open mind and exploring this topic. Warm wishes to you!
ReplyDeleteColette thank you for sharing that!
Mrs. Mayhem enjoy the ride!
Thanks Don G