Limitations....or Not?

I'm sure some of you may know that I have Tourette Syndrome and that I'm Deaf. What a lot, or most, of you may not know is that I have struggled reconciling my life with these "limitations". Struggling with controlling, or otherwise masking, my tics. As well, struggling with trying to understand what people are saying with my "limited" hearing or trying to read their lips. In a stone dead SILENT environment, I can hear and understand just fine... but introduce a few noises and I'm saying "Huh?" "Could you repeat that please?" I understand it gets frustrating to some people to have to repeat themselves, but I shouldn't have to apologize for not having perfect hearing. 

What I learned for myself a few years back is that my "limitations" are anything but as they have such a positive effect on my life. These "limitations" have been blessings and gifts in disguise. Let me say that these blessings and gifts are not that I HAVE Tourette or am Deaf, but what they made me see what I have that is a blessing. 

When I learned that I had Tourette at 15 years old, I learned to not to judge others b/c they just happened to be different. I learned that I was stronger than I thought. I learned that things aren't always what they seem at first glance (that person you thought was crazy might just have OCD or AvPD). I learned that I could take A LOT of punishment, physically. I learned that not everyone is my friend and who my REAL friends were. I learned to open myself up more to people so they wouldn't live in ignorance about Tourette. 

Years later, my hearing declined... A LOT. I became profoundly Deaf at age 22. I became so depressed during this time, but in time I healed. Over the years of being Deaf, I learned a lot of things about myself. I learned that I learned how to listen... I mean REALLY listen, not just to words that were being written down/speech read, but also to their body language and facial expressions. I learned that I had developed a great deal of patience with others b/c I would want them to be patient w/ me, no? I learned that in stillness, I could hear more than a hearing person (feeling vibrations all around me, seeing with my eyes more and more and catching things I might not have before losing my hearing). I learned to SEE... meaning that I used my eyes more to take in more detail of things around me. I learned to rely on my other senses to tell me more about what is going on around me. I learned that there are things SERIOUSLY wrong with music when each song has the same damn beat!! 

Now, that last line was supposed to be funny but truthful too. LOL But these are things I've learned and Tourette Syndrome and Deafness have taught me SO much and shown me I have some POWERFUL gifts and blessings. 

Glory to The Heavenly Father and Peace Be With You!!!