Canada Day Gratitude

July 1st, Canada Day

Oh, what a fright I had this morning!!

I woke early to the cool quiet stillness of a summer's morning; turned on the coffee, had a shower, and then took my cup to the back garden and reveled in the lovely stillness.

A quail Dad patrolled the top of the back yard fence while below him Mother and five very little chicks pecked at the gravel in the lane.  I watched and thought how wonderful it was in this small space, where there was no noise, no clamour.....

After watering all the pots Callie and I went in for breakfast.  As I passed the piano I paused to play a little Ragtime for Charles, as is my wont, even though he is not here to listen.....

I could barely hear the notes, - they were tinny and seemed to be coming from far away!!!

I tried my little personal CD that I listen to at night, - no sound!!

I began to panic, just a little.  Having lost the hearing in my left ear while travelling daily back and forth across the pass to be with Charles when he was in hospital, and having just recently visited the audiologist and ordered hearing aids so that I could once again hear in a gathering and not be limited to one -on -one conversations, I was appalled when our daughter came for her morning visit to realize I could not hear voices at all!!

She says I had a 'melt down' - I admit there were tears!  My grandmother, in the days before hearing aids, was totally deaf, and I remembered her terrible frustrations.

No  music, no loving voices, - it was too much to contemplate.....

I sought out Charles' hearing aids, put fresh batteries in them and managed to shove them into my ears, although they were much too large.

I could hear - not well, but sufficiently to understand my daughter, and we discussed how we should approach the audiologist to apprise him of this change - certainly not by telephone, but he did have an email address on his card.

I sent a text message to our youngest son who Skypes me each morning from the Cariboo, telling him no use phoning!!!!

We had another cup of coffee, and I removed the bulky hearing aids from my ears.

As I did so my daughter spoke to me, and I could hear her!!!!  Oh, wonder of wonders!

Are we ever sufficiently aware and grateful for the endearing and precious gifts we have been given, - it surely gives me pause to consider how in my own situation, living alone,  hearing and sight are such valued necessities.

I am not sure what is happening in the vicinity of my ears, but Google tells me that this is really not such a rare occurrence, and so I will just add the experience to my list of things for which I must be eternally grateful.

But it was very frightening, and I am extremely thankful it was only a momentary loss (so to speak),

 

and the flag flies on this Canada Day with thanks to our grandson, who helped Charles raise it on this day last year....