From Deaf to Life

How does a person begin to explain a gift they have received? How do they reveal all the wonder and joy that has been bestowed? A child can’t possibly tell you why he is in awe of all of his presents under the tree, and his sparkle in his eye on Christmas morning doesn't begin to unravel the gratitude he has. He merely sits down and plays with his new gifts, and the giver understands, for they know the child is in utter delight as each piece is inspected and enjoyed. 

When our child was diagnosed with unilateral hearing loss, we did not think of it as a gift. We questioned why and tried to figure out how to fix him. As each day past, we realized that if we were going to give our son a chance in the world, the best place for him would be at Tennessee School for the Deaf. I remember growing up in Nashville; we would sometimes take trips to Tennessee School for the Blind. I never understood the people who attended the school. In my loss, I never reached out while I was there to get to know them. They were different from me. It made me uncomfortable. So, as you can imagine, I was uncomfortable at the process of inserting our child into not only a new school, but a new culture and a new identity! But, it was best, so we did.

We started out once a week at TSD, and as each week went by my many quiet smiles turned into few sign language words, I began to get a little more comfortable. It was then I began to see the gift that lay inside. Behind the doors of that school, a school that you probably have never hear about, are the most patient, loving, hard working adults I have ever seen. 

My husband is a teacher, and I worked in schools for awhile, and the faculty and staff I find at TSD are beyond compare. They genuinely love these kids as if they are their own. Every time I catch a glimpse of them, they aren't complaining or trying to catch up with what they are suppose to be doing, they are in the moment with each kid, listening and taking in what the kid is saying. These teachers enjoy every single moment with every single kid. Their teaching goes beyond what the general education standard is, more than a job, more than hours in a day, these faculty and staff seize moments to enjoy each child.

I should have known this, because one of the first times we were there, we saw the preschool teacher outside with a child staring at a tree. Only moments before, the child was inside and saw a big bug from the window. The teacher did not turn the child’s attention back to the room, she took the child outside to inspect the bug for a learning moment.

Tennessee School for the Deaf is not a school, it is a way of life. When they accepted my son, they accepted my family. Every day I drop off or pick up my son, the teachers are there willing to stop and share about my son’s day, ask about our lives and talk to my other children. The principal has even hugged my child at the door and taken him to class.

They seek to provide an environment for my whole family to learn. They have provided us with tools and training sessions to better equip us at home, and as I see them interact with children, I also gain a greater understanding of what it means to genuinely love a child.  

I probably look like a lunatic most days, because I walk into TSD smiling, and tell them often “thank you”, because I am beyond grateful. One parent has even asked why I smile so much. I hope you understand the reason I am smiling is because my family and I have been given a precious gift. In its truest form, this gift is the gift of communication with my son, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share the extension of the gift. Hear this, dear reader, there is a beauty that reaches beyond society’s culture and nuances. There is something far greater than the capacity to carry on a “normal” conversation with a “normal” human being. Look around. If the people that are around you look and sound the same as you, I appeal to you. Reach out of yourself and what feels comfortable, so you too can find something life changing. We are not meant to all be the same. There is beauty in the different! You will see!

To teachers, know that what you do is not in vain. Every little correction, all the coloring and cutting, all the acting like maniacs trying to catch the child’s attention, all the answering to the million questions, its worth it. I see the fruit of your labor and our lives are better for it!