A Ray of Sunshine

February 21, 2023

Everyone who meets Erin knows it doesn’t take much to get her laughing.

Since she has a naturally happy and joyful disposition, it only takes the smallest thing for the laughter to start spilling out. Sometimes it is just a sneeze that gets her special laugh going. Other times she squeezes her nose and politely asks someone to “talk through their nose” before her giggling ensues. It’s the little things that make her very happy.

She loves and appreciates the little things to the fullest. When there is a trip on the distant horizon, and she knows in advance that there’s going to be a hot tub where she is going, she’s giddy about it. When there’s the smell of coffee in the air, she has an immediate smile on her face.

Erin is an absolute miracle! When Erin was born, at three and a half months premature, she was only 1lb and 13 ounces. Back in the early 1980s, doctors looked at the test results, CT scans, and MRIs and had very few expectations. On paper, they saw a girl who would never walk or talk, but she greatly surpassed all of the doctor’s expectations.

Blind from birth, Erin’s attention is focused and fine-tuned. Because of that, some of her other senses have been strengthened beyond the capabilities of others. She hears EVERYTHING! Since she is so attentive to what she hears, she quickly learns the words to songs. Because she loves to sing her heart out, you’d be hard-pressed to find a worship song she doesn’t already know! She can smell coffee a mile away and is very particular about how things feel. She continually and purposefully pays attention to every little thing her other senses pick up on.

Erin is very social and talkative. Her mother, Sally, attributes much of that to the active family life that naturally gravitates around her. With two older siblings and many cousins, she has had plenty of social stimulation for her entire life.

A ray of sunshine

A few months ago, on one of the very last warm days of the year, Erin’s class in Adult Services went out onto a back patio to enjoy the fresh air before cold weather forced everyone indoors for the winter months. While her instructor was reading a devotional to the class, Erin loudly interrupted by yelling, “THE SUN IS OUT!” It was true. It was cloudy when the class went outside, but the clouds had parted, and the sun had finally broken through. As it shined down upon that class, Erin was the first to notice its warmth. She didn’t see the sun, but she sure did feel it — and boy, did it make her happy! Little things can make a big difference!

Thank you for your support, which provides not only equipment and resources, but smiles and laughter to all at Elim.