| 09 Feb 2003 | Sunday |
"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, 34, 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. And all she had
to cling to was her husband, Mark.
Mark was an Army 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 and confidence 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 the arrangement
wasn't working. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he
admitted to himself. But she was still so fragile, so angry - how would she
react?
Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the
bus again. "I'm blind!", she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know
where I am going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Mark's heart broke to
hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that
each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it
took, 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, specifically her hearing, 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.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip 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, and 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 felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all
by herself.
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying
the fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure do 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?
Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?" The driver
responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you
are."Susan had no idea what the driver was
talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean?" The driver answered,
"You know, every morning for the past week, a fine
looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner
watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street
safely and he watches 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
physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so
lucky, 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 is darkness."
This story really touched me. Put up here to share with you guys.
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