My Mom said it best as she often does, "this changes nothing and it changes everything". It changes nothing about who Corrina is, she is no less than she was before. It changes nothing about how much we love her or what great things she may grow up to do. It changes everything about how she will learn to communicate, how she will go to school, how she will be parented. Corrina is now part of the deaf community, and as her family, so are we. I have no idea what that means.What it means for Dave & Janie is a big decision in the next little while -- do they pursue a cochlear implant or not? They have a great write-up on their blog that explains things better. It's a decision that will require a lot of thought and a lot of prayer, and probably not in that order. All day today I kept thinking about James 1:5 that talks about "if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask". I looked it up in the Message and I love the way it's worded there "If you don't know what you're doing ask the Father. He loves to help."
Mark is always telling me that "change isn't necessarily bad, it's just different." (What are big brothers for if not dispensing bon mots?) I think that's the case here. Whichever route D & J choose, Corrina's world will be no less wonderful than that one I live in. There will be no less laughter, no fewer reasons for it. She may not hear it the way I do, but she is already adept at reading faces and believe me, she laughs. I think the world just got a little bigger, not smaller. I don't know what it will look like, but if Corrina's there, I'm all in.
3 comments:
Well written as always, you have expressed pretty much the way I'm thinking.
I'm struck over and over by how God has orchestrated all this. How else would your ex-roomie turn out to be someone whose brother knows a family with 2 deaf kids who've had implants, who live in the same city as D , J & C? The odds against that are phenominal.
I've been moved too by so many people who have commented on the blog, emailed and most of all prayed and will continue to pray. We belong to a vast network of fellow believers - the Body of Christ in action. It is truly awe inspiring.
Love, Mom XX
Thanks for the great post claire, and thank you for of all for your vigorous research. It means so much to me that you are farmiliarizing yourself with all the information we are sorting through. Your links and thoughts have been helpful!
Our good friend Candace (she was in our wedding party, blond, and many other wonderful things!) has a cousin who had the implant done 10 years ago, and is doing wonderfully, and is happy she has it! We also met a number of parents at the central speech and hearing clinic (here in CSHC) who have children with the implant and work there as speech therapists. It is neat to be connected to people as they share their stories. I bet we will actualy come across Ceon's family friends (cshc is the only clinic in winnipeg that does implant speech therapy).
Thank your so much for your prayers, and links and thoughts and concerns! Support is an amazing comfort and will be needed for the next while (and in years to come as we have been told that teaching children to speak is serious, difficult, important business).
We should be sending your post-christmas present out as soon as we get photos back (hopefully by the weekend!) Can't wait to send it your way!
Love Janie
Well said Claire! I always love the way you put things! And we too are praying for all of you as you get used to this new reality of your lives!
I didn't even tell you the other day that my father had a family of deaf cousins! We never thought anything of it, only that they all communicated by sign language with one another and growing up I felt left out because they could communicate with or without words! Now there is a different perspective!
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