It had been a restless sleep. The hours after attending the funeral for my beloved younger sister were filled with tears and anxious thoughts. I kept thinking how I wished I had hugged her more and told her how much she meant to me. I pleaded for God’s help. That night, my two-year-old daughter slept … Continue reading
Filed under Have a Little Faith …
Meet Sarah Churman, YouTube Star and Author of Powered On
You may remember Sarah Churman from a popular YouTube video. She sat in an audiologist’s office, waiting for her implantable hearing aid to be activated. When the “switch” turned on and Sarah could hear, her emotional response brought many of us to ears—Lipreading Mom included. Watch that captivating video here. That’s why I am thrilled … Continue reading
The Oklahoma Town Where My Hearing Loss Story Begins
Washita, Oklahoma, is the inspiration for my 2009 novel, Lip Reader, a story of one family dealing with genetic deafness. I hadn’t visited that town in 13 years, not until I drove down the dusty two-lane road in search of answers to my own hearing loss. The reason I wrote Lip Reader—a book that is … Continue reading
One Thing I Wish I’d Learned Before Becoming Deaf
Would life be better if I could hear better? Would I notice the subtle differences in people’s voices, or the tones used in their speech? Or be able to hear the door bell ring or the microwave beep, or the wall clock tick? Or distinguish instantly who is calling me by listening to voice, not … Continue reading
Girl Scouts, Switched at Birth, and Deaf Pioneers – Lipreading Mom’s Year in Pictures (Part 2)
I will go on the record as saying this: 2012 was a good year for Lipreading Mom. As the year comes to an end, I am thankful for my family and our health, friendships and new opportunities. I am thankful for you, my faithful reader. Was this year everything you wanted it to be? If … Continue reading
My Story of Tragedy … And Hope
It’s easy to go through the day feeling like nothing special or out of the ordinary can happen. As a Lipreading Mom with progressive hearing loss for almost 12 years, I often have my moments of feeling unsure about the future. But when I’m tempted to wallow in self-pity, I think about the surprise that … Continue reading
New Book Giveaway: Forever Friends
Allison Schley,MEd, is the author of Forever Friends, a book about a young boy, his dog, and their friend Megan. The interesting part of Allison’s story is that both the boy, Matt, and his pet friend, Dexter are deaf. I asked Allison to explain the backstory behind Forever Friends. What inspired you to write this … Continue reading
Please Say a Prayer for this Sweet Hearing Dog
Bosley is the 7-year-old hearing dog of Rev. Catherine O’Connor from Ontario, Canada. “I was raised lipreading, born hard of hearing,” Catherine writes. “I only got my first hearing aids when I was in my 20s.” Now 54, Catherine wears purple hearing aids while at work only. At home, she lives with her brother, also … Continue reading
Do You Take Hearing Breaks?
This past weekend, my ears got a workout during a writers conference. It started with a meeting room full of attendees networking. I generally love meeting new people, and this was no exception…except for one thing. One of my hearing aids quit working midway through the day. (I later learned the reason why. Keep reading.) … Continue reading
While Teaching My Kids About Generosity, I Learned Something
Don’t get me wrong. I like to shop for my children. It’s easy for me to lip read them when they repeatedly say, ‘Please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeaasse.” And I love to lip read the words, “Ah, thanks, Mom.” As we left the store, a Salvation Army kettle ringer stood outside the store’s exit. I wondered if … Continue reading
