Ugly - I Just Counted My Blessings..

I sometimes feel very ugly, I'm having a bad hair day, my clothes don't feel right, my skin looks dull and old. I just do not want to go out of the house.

So it's bad luck when this happens on a work day as it did today.

Everything was wrong and as I left the house I felt that peculiar feeling of self conciousness, like everyone was looking at me with a critical eye, maybe thinking what a dork I look etc etc...

I rushed along feeling the sooner I get to work and into the comparative safety of my little room the better.

As I turned the corner I saw a (vaguely familiar) young woman come down her steps to the pavement carrying a small child, I couldn't see her face too well and I didn't want to stare but I also noticed a man bumping a baby pram down the steps.

I had crossed the road by now but being a small quiet road I heard the noises they made, they were sort of screeching noises.. it was at that moment I realised who this couple were.

They are patients where I work, they and their two children are all profoundly deaf.

I no longer cared about myself feeling ugly, I just felt an immense sense of admiration for this couple, how they cope with everyday life, bringing up 2 under-fives, not hearing their cries, not being able to teach them to speak, not able to read them a bedtime story or sing little nursery rhymes with them.

Each individual in their own silent world.

I just counted my blessings...