Sunday Sentiments

 

I've been working hard in the past few months to find new inspiration and practices for my writing. I had gotten away from it for so long, while we were at WillowBridge, and now that I have time again, I somewhat have to retrain myself.

I've been doing daily writing prompts, and I love them. They stretch my mind and push me to write about things I wouldn't normally choose. I've learned a lot about myself and my style from those practices. 

This week, I found a quote that struck me profoundly as a writer, but it wasn't even about writing! And I know not all of you are writers, but stick with me. I think you might find something helpful in here!

I've talked before about an Instagram account I follow called Bryarton Farm. The very sweet lady (Sara Jo) lives out in Kansas on a small hobby farm with her husband and three daughters. They are slowly restoring the farmhouse and their youngest daughter, Ellie, is blind. They adopted her from India a year ago, and I have learned SO MUCH from reading her posts. It's fascinating and inspiring to see how they have been teaching Ellie about life after she spent the first couple of years in an orphanage. Watching her grow and get strong has been so exciting!

But here was Sara Jo's quote that caught me this week:

The leaves are slowly turning from green to gold. A few are lightly falling to the ground. The places where the electrical wires were buried are now dark scars across the yard that pass in front of the farmhouse...This is how I might describe this view to Ellie Pearl if she were walking with me towards the farmhouse. Learning to describe things is a muscle I'm trying to exercise and grow.

Many people tell me they feel sorry for my daughter when they learn she is blind, but that's only because they don't understand that she doesn't miss out on anything. She simply "sees" the world differently. She enjoys the world through her touch, through scent, taste, and mainly through sound right now.

She has learned to recognize the unique sound of my footsteps and calls my name before I say a word. She begs for peanuts when she hears the jar opening. Nothing makes her happy like listening to her favorite songs. Someday, I will take her on long walks and describe the bucolic views to her. She enjoys a rich and beautiful life. We get the opportunity to share in her experience through the gift of words.

I realized that Sara Jo and I have something in common. We both bring people into our worlds through words. She uses her words to give vision to her daughter, who can't see with her eyes. I use my words to show things to my readers who aren't sitting with me and can't see what I see in the same moment.

Sara Jo is poetic and has a beautiful way with words. I learn more than I realize just from reading her descriptions (even though I can also see the pictures she describes). 

May we all remember the value and power of the words we speak and write. Whether we're supplying words for those who can't see something or just sharing our hearts with those around us. We have the opportunity to teach, inspire, explain, and...dare I say...paint...with our words! Let's do well with them, friends!