The Story
I was born with a rare, genetic, degenerative retinal disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa that was not diagnosed until I was six years old. What this means for me now, sixteen years later, is that I am unable to drive, play sports, read tangible books without assistance (thank goodness for audiobooks, right?), and dimly-lit areas such as movie theaters and restaurants often pose a challenge.
Essentially, I am legally blind, which is what I tell people when I don't feel like giving them the whole dissertation on the complexity of my eyes. All of this being said, my story doesn't end with what I am unable to do. In spite of my visual impairment, I have graduated college and God has blessed me with the love of writing, which I can do from anywhere.
The seed of this blog was planted in March 2021, following an eye procedure. I wanted to write to a broader audience and talk about the interconnectedness of an abundance of faith and lack of sight, but I admittedly let fear hold me back.
It was not until about a year later (May 2022) that the seed flowered. There was a six-month period between graduating college and landing my first job that was extremely tough. Between my impaired sight and my joblessness, I struggled with feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy. During that time, I found myself drawing closer to God than I probably ever have, partly due to suddenly having so much time, but mostly because at the end of the day, His love was constant, and I knew I could trust that and Him.
Truthfully, I did not know what specific topics I was going to write about until I went through that season of waiting. I still have some fear, but now, I am more excited than ever to see what fruit will come from this one seed.