“All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming” – Helen Keller
I’m not sure what the bigger offense is- eavesdropping or what is heard during when eavesdropping?
In this particular conversation I tuned into, all I heard was, “Well, even Helen Keller can do that!” followed by a round of uproarious-somewhat-of-a-courtesy-laughter (and I think I even heard golf-claps). I get that this comment was likely a joke and the person who said it did not mean any harm or foul, but it stirred me, as Helen Keller is one of my heroines.
Once I got over the anger from the person’s comment that I shouldn’t have been listening to in the first place, I realized that what was heard can be used as a reminder to connect with God, and remember that what the guy trying to win friends and influence people said tells more about his state of being than Helen Keller. There’s a force much greater than the ignorant comment made.
*Deep breath*
Helen Keller possessed capability that is so far beyond this physical world. Although she was deafblind in the physical sense, her intuitive power was so strong that she was not only able to know when someone making no noise was entering a room but also knew who was entering a room by their energy. That is not a blind or deaf person to me.
We spend so much dishonoring the less physically able in our concrete material world that we are ignorant to that which is unseen. After being diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin Lymphoma (advanced, widespread cancer of the lymphatic system) at the age of 29, the messages relayed to me and other cancer patients usually regard cancer as a dis-ease to be “fought” and those who are “plagued” with the illness are “victims” to its wrath.
By no means would I ever wish any form of cancer upon anyone, but once we are diagnosed with not just cancer, but any illness, there exists an opportunity to pause, breath, and recognize that although we may feel powerless, we are not. The initial shock and denial that come with life-threatening illness is a natural instinct we have and the feelings we have in that state of mind are all OK. Six days lying in bed watching Downton Abbey (guilty!) is understandable, but six months of it is wallowing and a serious issue. Cancer cannot take our power unless we allow it to and in fact, we have a choice.
We can use illness as an excuse for why nothing is right in our lives or we can choose to not be a victim. We have the power to not let the dis-ease take our attitude, self-worth, courage, sense of humor, or time with our children. We can see it for its lessons. Work like this (that is, perception shifting) is difficult and uncomfortable, but worth it. When we change the way we see the world, the world around us changes. We see things differently and can move from “just surviving” to thriving and conquering our adversities.
Helen Keller is my heroine for many reasons, with the chief being that she did not allow her physical body to define her.
She had in her what we all have within us- courage, persistence, determination, and resilience.
What made her great was that she realized her power and defeated the odds that were so greatly stacked against her. Not only earning her college degree during a time when women were not regarded to as equal, she grew into a respected and world-renowned activist who labored for the betterment of others.
Helen Keller’s “disability” was ultimately a gift. Her physically being deafblind, opened her up to realize the world beyond what we can physically see. Because she did not create boundaries in her mind, she was able to accomplish what so many of us long to do- help thousands during our lifetime.
She did not need her physical body to be in optimum condition to discover her strong, resilient power. Neither do you.
Who are your heroes? What did they do that you admire? Leave your story in the comments below and remember that the light you see in your heroes is a reflection of your own inner light.
