Helen Keller

Helen Keller is one of my favorite people. Ever.

At first, my connection with her started as a joke. Being deaf in one ear and hearing impaired in the other as well as having absolutely terrible eyesight, it became a family joke and joke amongst friends that I was "Helen Keller." In fact, one of my friends only called me Helen and it felt weird when she used my real name, I was so accustomed to hearing "Helen" from her. I always thought Helen Keller was cool because she did learn sign language being deaf and blind.

Well, my fascination began when the friend who calls me Helen gave me her autobiography...that's right, autobiography! Just the fact that she had written her own autobiography impressed me. The book was given to me as a joke but I read it and became enthralled with Helen Keller.

I have learned about many strong women and hard-working women, but I have yet to read one that touched me in a way like Helen Keller's did. We all have our own battles to fight but she fought to levels that most of us would never dare to even dream about if we had been in her situation. Most people would just say it is an accomplishment to learn a language not being able to hear or see. Not only did Helen learn sign language, she learned to speak English, against all possible odds. How is that possible, some people ask. She learned by feeling vocal cords. Crazy, right?! But, it didn't stop there. She went on to go to school. It must have been hard enough to get a high school diploma right? Nope, she didn't stop there either. Helen Keller got a college degree. This may seem like a simple statement, but for some reason it just amazes me that she was able to do that. It took hard work and effort on her part. It was not like she was just given the degree. She worked for it and earned it, just like everyone else. She did not let her circumstances limit her. She didn't set goals based on her obstacles. She set her sight (pardon the pun) on the vision (haha, again, pardon the pun) she set for herself and never aimed for less.  How often do we let our circumstances dictate our vision? Maybe we should pay more attention to Helen Keller and let our vision dictate our circumstances?

I wonder who the people around me are inspired by and why they are inspired by that person. What was the defining moment of that person being your inspiration?

I'll leave you with some of Helen Keller's words and maybe they'll speak to you as you read them with your sense of sight that you are blessed to have.

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."

"Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I am in, therein to be content."

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."

"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."