Do not value
the things you have in life.
But value who
you have in your life.
(Author
Unknown)
The following true
story was contributed by Tom.
The passengers on the bus watched
sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way
carefully up the steps. She paid the
driver...and using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the
aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on
her lap and rested her cane against her leg.
It had been a year since Susan
became blind. Due to a medical
misdiagnosis, she had been rendered sightless...and she was suddenly thrown
into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. “How could this have happened to me?” she
would plead, her heart knotted with anger.
But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the
painful truth...her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung over Susan's once
optimistic spirit. All she had to cling
to was her husband Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and
he loved Susan with all his heart. When
she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined
to help his wife gain the strength she needed to become independent again. Finally Susan felt ready to return to her
job, but how would she get there? She
used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by
herself. Mark volunteered to drive her
to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted Susan and fulfilled
Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing
the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark
realized that this arrangement wasn't working ~ it was hectic and costly.
Susan is going to have to take
the bus again, he admitted to himself.
But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react? Just as Mark predicted, Sudan was horrified at the idea of taking the
bus again. “I'm blind!” she responded
bitterly. “How am I supposed to know where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me.” Mark's heart broke but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each day he would ride
the bus with her until she got the hang
of it.
And that is exactly what
happened. For two solid weeks, Mark,
military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses
to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who
could watch out for her...and save her a seat. Each morning they made the
journey together...and Mark would take a cab back to his office.
Although the routine was even
more costly and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a
matter of time before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms
around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband and her best
friend. Her eyes filled with tears of
gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, his love. She said good-bye and for the first time,
they went their separate ways. Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...each day on her own went perfectly...and Susan
had never better in a long time.
On Friday morning, Susan took the
bus to work as usual. As she was paying
for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, “Boy, I sure envy you.” Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking
to her or not. After all, who on earth
would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to
live for the past year? “Why do you envy me?”
The driver responded, “You know,
every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform
has been standing across the corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street
safely...and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss...gives you a little
salute...and walks away. You are one
lucky lady!”
Tears of happiness poured down
Susan's cheeks. For although she
couldn't see him, she had always 'felt' Mark's presence. She was blessed ...so blessed...for he had
given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see
to believe ~ the Gift of Love ~ that can bring light...where there had
been only darkness.
The Best Things in
Life are Free:
hugs, smiles,
friends, kisses, family, sleep,
laughter, kindness
and love.
Freely given...to
many, each is a gift!
Merle Baird-Kerr...scripted
January 31, 2015
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