Gloria ~ May 31

 

SIGNS

 

Went out to the backyard this morning and heard the new and improved neighbour's dog barking behind the fence. Took a peek through the slats and saw two pretty white fluffy puppies and one spotted black and white cutie. 

 

Came in to tell Ron and I signed “dog” to him, and he asked if I had learned that from my father…if he had ever signed that to me. And I said no…I learned that sign in my ASL class. Ron asked again…as he has asked many times…did my father ever sign anything to me…did my mother ever sign anything to me.

 

The only sign I learned from my father was when he pointed to his watch and said: Time…Time short. I think he signed “short.” That was when he was trying to get us up because we were leaving for vacation and my parents had been up since before sunrise and my mother was in her usual pre-home-leaving panic mode.

 

I  know I learned some signs just watching them when I could catch a word that went with the sign. 

 

But my brother and I never signed back to them.

 

I didn’t realise till I met Ron how astonishng that would be to someone raised with deaf parents. Especially someone like Ron who is on the far edge the other way…with parents who only signed and were not verbal.

 

He will ask with astonishment while giving me a sign…not even this little sign at the end of a sentence?!?…. So natural to him and so incomprehensible to me.

 

Today we are going to a graduation party for Jack Moore, the hearing son of two deaf parents…good friends of Ron. 

 

The TEDx talk I wrote was all about that family. How when we all had lunch together I watched as Jack signed and easily communicated with his parents and spoke intelligently and easily to myself and to Ron.  He is graduating high school  with honours and accolades, his education assured early by his deaf mother who not only taught him to sign but took him to the children’s library where they read stories to them.  So he both signed and learned how to read and heard the stories  so he knew how words sounded.

 

He really had it all. And to his credit and to his parents credit…made good use of it all.

 

And he and his older brothers and sisters and their parents…and someday all the grandchildren…they will form a true family unit. United in both love and most important to hold that all together…a common language.

 

That is both beautiful for me to see…and at the same time painful and difficult.  

 

What could so easily have been…and because of circumstances at the time …was denied.

 

All I can do now is to write about it…and educate as best I can through my story and my show.  

 

And the gift I get back is to have a life companion with the blessing of both sign and speech. A truly common language not only of love...but understanding.