Was Blind but Now I See, So Clearly

The doctors believed initially that Baby Jay was blind. We were told to bring him to an ophthalmologist within a month of his hospital discharge. I thought he could see perfectly well and was shocked when the doctors said he could only see color, light, and indistinct shapes. He was six months old.

Today he got his first pair of glasses. I expected a battle just getting them on his face, never mind keeping them there, instead I got laughter. As soon as we set them on his little nose his eyes widened and he started chortling and pointing at the eyeglasses displayed all around us.

I took him out into the window filled atrium. He was craning his neck to look up at the skylights, out the windows, down the hallways. He was so interested in the things he was seeing that I had to keep stopping him from bumping into the pillars.

And then he ran. He has never run before. I thought this was due to physical delays, but maybe he just couldn’t see far enough ahead to feel safe running. He let go of my hand and ran down that hallway, laughing, babbling, and gesturing as so many smiling adults stopped to look on.

“Thank you, Lord,” I breathed, unsuccessfully blinking back tears. “Thank you.”

I buckled Jay into his carseat and tried to take the glasses, not wanting him to tear them apart while I was driving. He protested loudly. I left them, and watched in the rearview mirror whenever I safely could. He was whipping his head back and forth, fascinated by everything going by outside the windows. He usually just sits in a near stupor.

We stopped at a café. He stood on a chair in the window engrossed by all the cars going by outside. I thought we would have a battle to keep the glasses on his face, but at barely two he realized within seconds that they make it so he can see. The battle is to take them off.

Hours later, I can’t get over his amazement as he gazes around the house, his confidence as he trots from room to room.

How very blessed we are to live in a time and a place where this is possible. Thank you, Lord.

(Then in true two year old fashion Jay ripped the nose guards off, put the glasses on his stuffed alligator, screamed when I took them away, and put them back on his face sans nose guards.)