Christmas is a season for counting our blessings so I thought I’d share with my readers how recent experiences led me to appreciate mine.
Recently I watched, and very much enjoyed, a silent movie. This reminded me that there are many people who would not be able to enjoy a silent movie. For some this is merely a matter of taste, of disliking the exaggerated acting that is a convention of films without speaking.
However, there are many people who are unable to enjoy silent movies for a reason that is much more serious: they are blind.
My vision is imperfect. Indeed, my nearsightedness was a factor in my failure to learn to drive a car when I was young (itself something of a handicap in many parts of the United States). My vision is to a large extent corrected by my contact lenses (although I would require a new prescription were I again to try to learn to drive). As frequently happens when people age, I have also grown farsighted so I usually wear glasses to read.
Nevertheless, for most purposes I see well enough – and I certainly enjoy the gift of sight. It is one that many people lack.
I very much enjoy listening to recorded stories. Many people cannot because they are deaf.
Sight and hearing are senses that people usually take for granted but those of us who possess them ought to count them as great blessings.
My walk is often awkward because one of my legs is a bit shorter than the other. I also suffer from chronic lower back pain. But the fact remains that I DO have legs and I CAN walk – there are many who are not so fortunate.
Watching a silent movie and listening to a CD led me to count my blessings and then to write this blog about them. I hope it will inspire my readers to be grateful for what THEY have.
