As I mentioned in my last blog, I recently spent some time with my older sister on the West Coast. While visiting with my cousins, I met a so-called "weiner dog," a delightful dog named Mozart. He just loved to shower kisses on everyone, was a great lap dog, and loves squeaky toys. He was just precious.
I thought back to when my mother was still living about seven years ago, she had adopted a darling golden retriever named Ben. Ben was younger then, and loved squeaky toys, even though he was about three at the time. As I couldn't hear squeaky toys, my mother would say, "squeak," every time Ben came in the room with a squeaky toy. I would give Ben a squeaky toy as a gift for Christmas when he was younger.
Now, in 2011, one cochlear implant later, I smiled, knowing I could hear Mozart's squeaky toys every time he carried a toy to my sister, or to one of my cousins. It was a bittersweet moment - I can't call either one of my parents on the telephone and tell them about what new sound I've heard lately.
My father has been with the Angels a long time - 25 years ago, and my mother, joined the Angels nearly six years ago.
Ben is still with us - my older sister took Ben to live with her and her son after our mother died. He no longer plays with squeaky toys, and moves slowly, aging with arthritis, but he is still a sweet dog. I hadn't seen him since my mother died, but I think Ben remembered me, because he came up the stairs and slept by my bed that first night. Ben is probably around ten now. He likes to nap outside in the Indian Summer, his arthritic joints bathed in sunshine.
My parents would be just delighted. I know my sisters, friends are all delighted at how far I have come in my hearing journey. In two months it will be Christmas. I had not been activated long last Christmas, so it will be interesting to see what Christmas sounds I hear, nearly one year later.
Hearing is such a gift.
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