Of Great Value to You

 At physical therapy (for my broken arm) I was on the exam table, with my feet facing the wall, doing my arm exercises.  I heard my therapist from somewhere behind me in the large room say, “Are you doing Ok, Annette.”  I replied “Yes” and then had a thought pop into my mind. I was amazed.  I could not see him, read his lips (which I can’t do right now with facemasks, anyway), and was not anticipating being spoken to.  Yet I heard him! 

That may not seem strange to most people, but to me it is a part of a miracle.  I have always had hearing loss.   

In kindergarten or 1^st grade the whole class would sit in a circle while an audiologist would call us to the middle one at a time to take a hearing test.  I recall my deep embarrassment when I didn’t raise my hand when I should have because I couldn’t hear the sounds.  

I was pulled out of class once in Jr. High to meet with the audiologist.  In an effort to convince me to try a hearing aid, he said, “Don’t you want to be able to hear the sweet nothings a boy will whisper in your ear.”  I remember thinking, “Yeah, who wants to whisper sweet nothings into a hearing aid.”  You have to realize that hearing aids in the 1950’s and 60’s were not as sleek as those we have now.  But it really had more to do with not wanting to be “different” than other people.  And of course, pride.

I got my patriarchal blessing my Junior year of high school.   I must have mentioned to the patriarch in my interview beforehand that I had a hearing problem and to speak loudly.  One line of the blessing is interesting.  It says, “He will bless you richly with physical heath and mental health and spiritual health, and even increase your hearing to be of great value to you.”   

It was later that year that I decided I would get a hearing aid.   For years I’ve looked at the blessing as being the nudge I needed to finally have the confidence to get a hearing aid.  And what a blessing hearing aids have been.  But since getting a cochlear implant a few years ago, and then getting a new hearing aid in my other ear, I have noticed that my hearing truly has “increased to be of great value to me.”  Especially with the Bluetooth capabilities that go directly into my devices, I am able to listen to music and programs, which I've never been able to do that.  At this point in my life, without the implant and hearing aid, Gary can’t speak loud enough directly into my ear for me to hear.

 Not perfect hearing by any means.  But definitely a MIRACLE.