Before i
developed a memory the cataracts that were on my eyes since birth were removed,
and I began wearing thick glasses at six months of age. My mother, who always made sure my clothes
were in style and coordinated throughout my life, matched the ribbon tied
around my neck to help me keep my glasses on with my outfit of the day. I love looking at photographs of my unique
style as a baby. By age four the ribbons
were no longer needed and the focus was directed toward my upcoming open heart
surgery to close the hole in my heart. I remember holding my favorite fraggle
rock stuffed animals (cause that show was such a do back then) and asking the
nurses if I could just wait a little bit longer. Surgery went well and soon after I was riding
a tricycle on the hospital pediatric playground. However, after the first hole was closed they found a
murmur (a very tiny hole) that I am still living with today.
My vision has
remained steady over the years and my thick glasses have become my style
staple. My parents strived for me to
have a "normal" life and encouraged me not to let my disability stand
in my way. I did not. I pursued my passion for theatre at age five
by making an appointment with my elementary school guidance counselor to tell
her that I thought our school should put on the play The Wizard of Oz, and I
would be more than happy to play Dorothy.
As I grew I sang in chorus and at church, played the school nerd in a play
at my middle school (clearly my thick glasses made me a shoe in for the
part). I participated in every theatre
production while in high school and even had the opportunity to perform in a
production of "Mr. Scrooge" with Jason Mraz while he was in high
school and I was in middle school. He
played Bob Cratchet and I was Tiny Tim.
I really enjoy the arts. My
parents encouraged me to study hard and always be involved in school activities
and church activities.
I have always
been very social, and God has blessed me with many supportive friends
throughout my life. When a group of
girls made fun of me in middle school by calling me Kaleidoscope Eyes a group
of friends stood up for me. In high
school when I had eye surgery and temporarily went completely blind in my left
eye my best friend would come over and read to me from our AP World History
text book so I would not fall behind in the class. My group of friends in college taught me the
importance of being true to myself, trusting God, and embracing life. In graduate school when I struggled finding
decent transportation to school and work a group of my friends volunteered to
be my drivers. I cannot drive due to my
visual disability.
When something
in life did not come easy to me because of my disability, I was encouraged to
keep trying. I was determined to
complete college and graduate school reading assignments even if that meant
getting less sleep because I am a much slower reader than my peers. I love color so much, and I have always loved
having my nails painted. So, in my early
high school years I would change the color on my nails almost everyday. I figured the more I painted them the easier
it would be to stay in the lines. I
would get a feel for where my nails were and it would be a less challenging
task. It worked, and I am very proud to
say today that I can do my own nails just like everybody else.
Don't get me
wrong the blessing of great friends and determination has helped me in my life,
but that doesn't mean everything was always perfect. I had my embarrassments just like everyone
else. For example, there was the time in
fifth grade where I tried to take my jeans off in gym class to dress in my
uniform and the jeans got stuck on my shoes that I left on. I could not pull the jeans up, and I could
not pull them off. I sat there in my underwear with jeans hanging around my
ankles when my male gym teacher came into the girls locker room to check on
me. There was also the time I was with a
group of friends including my crush at a concert and I accidentally locked
myself inside a bathroom stall during intermission. How that happened I'll never know. It would be wrong of me to mention these
moments without mentioning the moment I was out with a boy i liked and laughed
so hard that I peed in my pants. This is
definitely a dating don't.
My parents got there wish. I grew up as normal as possible complete with friends, hobbies, decent grades, and embarrassing moments. I received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2004, and I completed graduate school with a Masters of Divinity in 2007. I work as a minister in a church within walking distance of my house. This allows me to have a little more independence, because I do not have to rely on anyone to drive me back and forth to work. In my job I have the opportunity to minister to people of all ages. My faith in God is what got me through the last 30 years of my life. Even, though this is not everyone's view, I personally believe that God chose me to have a disability. It has really helped me share His love with the world throughout my life. In graduate school I met my husband and we celebrated our five year anniversary this fall. We love to watch movies, travel, and explore new restaurants together. He taught me that when you truly love someone it does not matter that they prop their feet up on empty dining room chairs every night during dinner, steal the covers while you are trying to sleep, and sing really loudly really off key. Together we parent a cat named Thomas who, let's be honest, is pretty much the one in charge around our home.
Due to the
medication that I take to control my glaucoma (a disease i was diagnosed with
at age seven that damages the optic nerve and causes vision loss) I am not able
to have a baby of my own. My husband and
I are excitedly in the process of adopting a child to expand our family. I am looking forward to teaching my child all
the important lessons I learned while growing up with a disability. First, have faith in God. Next speak up for yourself. Learn to laugh at yourself. Don't let obstacles get in the way of meeting
your goals. Be patient and persistent. Do not be afraid to be your true self,
and embrace your style staple (thick
glasses or something else) that makes you, you.
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