The Blessing of Hearing

At this special time of year, we are hopefully able to be thankful for the blessings of Christmas, a New Year as well as family and friends. When we do have the opportunity to be with those we love, being able to share our thoughts, opinions and feelings is so very important. Simply put, we COMMUNICATE, a word that comes from communion, getting together in spirit. It has been said that we use our eyes to see how to get where we want to go, but then we use our ears to listen and talk, laugh and learn from those people at the destination. Most of us remember the famous educator, Helen Keller, born both deaf and blind. She is quoted as saying, “Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people.” Many times she wrote and taught that she felt if given a choice, she would much rather have lost her sight than her hearing. In my specialty of Ear, Nose and Throat medicine, I of course have a special regard for the wonderful blessing that the sense of hearing provides. My staff and I are trained to do our best in preserving this gift of sound perception. The laughter of children, the pure tones of a church organ or the song of birds cannot be replaced.