She's BAAACK!!

My Pageant Days!

Greetings and Salutations to all!

Just a little update. My friend Xochie wondered what the plans were for the birthday . . . so let me tell you. I have NO CLUE!! I am turning the big three-five on Saturday and I have no clue what I'm going to do on that day, but my friend, Deanna H (a YW leader from my youth) is throwing me a party the Saturday after conference/Easter. She is sending out invites and all sorts of funny things. The theme is something like "SHE'S BAAACK!" since I am doing so well, acting like I once did and living life as it should be lived again. She is using that picture on the invite.

I know, none of you knew I was in pageants. I wasn't. But my mom loved helping me dress up and I was a Toys for Tots Princess and got to wave in parades and such . . . I personally wasn't a fan of the entire hair piece and makeup thing. (although I would have loved to have curly hair, the reality was I didn't. Mine was straight as a piece of bamboo. That's straight right? I can't remember how you say that . . . anyway! That's one thing I hate and love about having ECT. I can't remember all the idioms and people stare at me funny when I say something they've never heard before. But recently my brain has cleared to the point that I am able to use some vocab that I learned growing up and actually remembering it on the spot. (I guess dreaming at night has taken on a whole new level now that I'm using the GRE test vocab in the dreams. I guess I sub consciously I am learning it! Too bad I can't take the test while asleep. I'd probably do better)

Boy! This post has lost it's point and I'm only on the 3rd paragraph!

I learned tonight that my mom's in the hospital. She was admitted after having been severely ill for a few days. Honestly she has been very ill for quite sometime, but she won't admit to me how ill she really is. Like all moms, she doesn't want to worry her children. But the hospital can't figure out why her body is riddled with infection when she's been on massive doses of antibiotics for 3 months now. No, that is not a typo. She's been on antibiotics for 3 whole months. Today she was too the point that she wasn't able to walk or stand well without aid and she just plain doesn't feel good. So, if you could keep her, her Doctors and my dad in your prayers I would really appreciate it.

I was able to go to the Deaf Branch today. I really do enjoy the branch so much. Today two men who are Deaf and Blind passed the sacrament. There was something about it. Something about them passing the sacrament, being led with a hand on their leader's shoulder, going around to the congregation that made me think about our Savior's atonement for me in a completely different way. Like these two men who each had their own guide, I cannot live this life without the Saviour to guide me. Like these two men, whom others have pitied because of their "limitations", I can achieve more than I know, because of the Saviour's strength in my life. Many people pity the Deaf. They really pity the Deaf and Blind. But, as these two men so regularly demonstrate, they aren't limited! They are beyond smart! When I interpret for them I sit in front of one man and he rests his hand on my hand as I am signing. He understands everything just from feeling me sign with one hand! I love seeing them at church because often members of the branch will sit in front of them (one person in front of each man) and they will copy what is being said to the men who are Deaf and blind. The Deaf have the opportunity to interpret and feel what it is like for the interpreters who listen to the English and interpret into ASL for them. The Lord gives us so many opportunities to learn and serve one another. Back to the Sacrament today. I felt so grateful today for the opportunities I have been given because although many people view my illness as a severe disability, with the right tools (meds, therapy, ECT, your support and who knows what  else . . .) I can live a normal life just like these men are able to participate fully in their lives.

It's interesting because what most the world's population considers a disability is actually an opportunity to be creative and learn how to do something in a way other's haven't even imagined.

My ASL teacher, Vadja, grew up in a situation where his parents wouldn't learn sign language to communicate with him. They only used gestures. When Vadja was 9 (I think) his Deaf uncle came to visit and Vadja had never seen sign language before. Only the home signs that his dad had created. His dad grew up with his Deaf brother and didn't learn sign language to talk with him either. So when Vadja's uncle arrived, Vadja just stared in disbelief as his uncle started teaching him sign language. He said that within a few weeks it was like he'd known sign all his life. I just can't imagine going all my life with parents who couldn't or wouldn't talk to me.

Vadja taught the Deaf for 30+ years. He said that 75% of all deaf kids have hearing parents. Of those hearing parents only about 70% (or more) have parents who refuse to learn sign. Can you believe that? He said that most often deaf kids are behind because (for example) some hearing kids can ask easily 500 questions a day, wondering what things are and how they work  . . . but a deaf kid with parents who don't know sign will ask the same questions and realize their parents can't answer them, so they just stop asking. It's not because they're any less curious. It's simply because they can't get the answers they need, so they stop asking.

I think about my friend Laurel (who is Deaf) who's parents who were both Deaf (which is VERY rare) and with siblings who were all Deaf. I bet she had all her questions answered. Okay, not all, who can have all their questions answered??? But still, she was very fortunate her communication wasn't limited. Today I met a young woman who's mom is Deaf, yet the girl can't communicate with her mom because she refuses to learn sign. I just don't get that.

That situation was interesting. I went to dinner after church at the Riddle's house. That girl was there, visiting from Tijuana and spoke no English. She was relying on her sister to interpret for her what her mom was saying and what the English speakers were saying. Then I look at one of the missionaries there and he is completely Deaf and doesn't understand what other's who didn't know sign language  there were saying. I was interpreting for both. In an instant I actually remembered something from my mission. I remembered that when I was in the Missionary training center learning Spanish I was scared I was going to forget my ASL since I wouldn't be with my friend Laurel everyday, or with other Deaf friends like I was before my mission. So I started saying my personal prayers voicing them in Spanish and signing them in ASL at the same time. I think I may have even done that after my mission to remember my Spanish because I wasn't using it everyday and I was back to interpreting for my Deaf friends.

Well, thank you all for taking the time to read this. I am working on updating it more often . . . we'll see how that works ;) I love getting your comments, because then I know you really are reading this and I'm not just sending it out to a void. I love you guys! -MOPS