Dear Diary,
I thought that being blind and deaf was the worse part of my life. All the struggles and pain of my daily life. I was constantly scared with every vibration in my home. But nothing in my life compares to the fear of the spring day I was left alone in a thunderstorm.
Miss Sullivan came into my life on March 3rd, 1887. She was my teacher and mentor. She taught me so much stuff, like reading, writing and communicating. But on the other hand, the longer she stayed at my home, the closer we became. Miss Sullivan became my best friend, she became closer to me than any of my other peers.
One day after a long day of Miss Sullivan reading me four books, Miss Sullivan and I decided to have a picnic outside. She told me it was a very nice and sunny day. She signed to me that there was not a cloud in the sky. She packed sandwiches and various fruits in a basket, we also brought my favorite blanket to sit on.
So we began our journey. She lead me outside my home to the unknown world called the outdoors. We walked for about 10 minutes and I told her my legs were beginning to ache. Thus Miss Sullivan walked with me to a comfortable spot, under an oak tree in an extension of our large yard, and laid out the blanket.
The weather outside was fair. The grass under me itched a bit, but it was part of the outdoors I guess. It seemed to be colder than I imagined from Miss Sullivan describing it to me. There was a wind that blew my hair to my face, but I didn’t mind. It was a beautiful spring day in Alabama.
As Miss Sullivan and I sat down together on the blanket we got out our sandwiches and began to eat them. Miss Sullivan had made my favorite, ham. Miss Sullivan knew me better than my own mother.
Once I finished my lunch I signed for a dessert. I felt Miss Sullivan digging in the basket for my requested dessert. After a few moments she told me she had forgot to bring my dessert. Therefore, she would be back very soon and to stay in place. I felt a wind as Miss Sullivan ran past me but it seemed to last as if it was a wind coming from the sky.
I began to feel leaves fall on me from the towering oak. Suddenly, I felt a vibration under me and a boom that seemed to shake my insides. Almost like… thunder! I remember as a child seeing thunderstorms and hiding in my mother’s lap. I also remember seeing flashes of light called lightning.
Dropplets began to fall from the darkening sky and so did the dropplets from my eyes. I was cold, scared, and alone and now I was crying like a baby. I began to search around with my hands. I don’t know what I was looking for, maybe a button to hit to get out of this storm back inside my home in my mother’s arms. Then I felt something… the tree! I hugged the tree with all my might, tears going down my face. At this time, I wasn’t educated enough to know not to be near a tree during a storm. Then, I felt the wind pick up the rain increase and a shock. Out of no where, I felt a shock right behind me. I gave out a loud, long pierce of emotion. Maybe not as a normal person would yell in terror, but I opened my mouth and let out all my fears that I had at that moment.
The wind swirled up again and this time I felt a pressure around my body. I began to shake, the wind blew my hair harder and harder away from my face. I hugged the tree with all my might and cried even harder. I’m gonna die, I said to myself.
But my fears were relieved when Miss Sullivan pulled me from the tree and signed to me “You will be okay.”
She ran and cradled me in her warm, protecting arms. She carried me all the way back home and through several thunders and lightning strikes.
My mother welcomed me with open arms and told me that everything is okay, that I was safe now. I welcomed her hug and let my tears soak into her shirt.
Moments later, I could feel Miss Sullivan and my mother talking from the vibrations in the room. Miss Sullivan later signed to me what they had said, “ I’m sorry for leaving Helen alone, please do not fire me!”
and then my mom simply said, “You did more for her in a couple years than I could ever do.”
So as I write right now, Miss Sullivan is drying me off from a long bath. And I’m writing so I never forget the fear I had today. I am now officially saying that I will never be left alone again.
Love,
Helen
I thought that being blind and deaf was the worse part of my life. All the struggles and pain of my daily life. I was constantly scared with every vibration in my home. But nothing in my life compares to the fear of the spring day I was left alone in a thunderstorm.
Miss Sullivan came into my life on March 3rd, 1887. She was my teacher and mentor. She taught me so much stuff, like reading, writing and communicating. But on the other hand, the longer she stayed at my home, the closer we became. Miss Sullivan became my best friend, she became closer to me than any of my other peers.
One day after a long day of Miss Sullivan reading me four books, Miss Sullivan and I decided to have a picnic outside. She told me it was a very nice and sunny day. She signed to me that there was not a cloud in the sky. She packed sandwiches and various fruits in a basket, we also brought my favorite blanket to sit on.
So we began our journey. She lead me outside my home to the unknown world called the outdoors. We walked for about 10 minutes and I told her my legs were beginning to ache. Thus Miss Sullivan walked with me to a comfortable spot, under an oak tree in an extension of our large yard, and laid out the blanket.
The weather outside was fair. The grass under me itched a bit, but it was part of the outdoors I guess. It seemed to be colder than I imagined from Miss Sullivan describing it to me. There was a wind that blew my hair to my face, but I didn’t mind. It was a beautiful spring day in Alabama.
As Miss Sullivan and I sat down together on the blanket we got out our sandwiches and began to eat them. Miss Sullivan had made my favorite, ham. Miss Sullivan knew me better than my own mother.
Once I finished my lunch I signed for a dessert. I felt Miss Sullivan digging in the basket for my requested dessert. After a few moments she told me she had forgot to bring my dessert. Therefore, she would be back very soon and to stay in place. I felt a wind as Miss Sullivan ran past me but it seemed to last as if it was a wind coming from the sky.
I began to feel leaves fall on me from the towering oak. Suddenly, I felt a vibration under me and a boom that seemed to shake my insides. Almost like… thunder! I remember as a child seeing thunderstorms and hiding in my mother’s lap. I also remember seeing flashes of light called lightning.
Dropplets began to fall from the darkening sky and so did the dropplets from my eyes. I was cold, scared, and alone and now I was crying like a baby. I began to search around with my hands. I don’t know what I was looking for, maybe a button to hit to get out of this storm back inside my home in my mother’s arms. Then I felt something… the tree! I hugged the tree with all my might, tears going down my face. At this time, I wasn’t educated enough to know not to be near a tree during a storm. Then, I felt the wind pick up the rain increase and a shock. Out of no where, I felt a shock right behind me. I gave out a loud, long pierce of emotion. Maybe not as a normal person would yell in terror, but I opened my mouth and let out all my fears that I had at that moment.
The wind swirled up again and this time I felt a pressure around my body. I began to shake, the wind blew my hair harder and harder away from my face. I hugged the tree with all my might and cried even harder. I’m gonna die, I said to myself.
But my fears were relieved when Miss Sullivan pulled me from the tree and signed to me “You will be okay.”
She ran and cradled me in her warm, protecting arms. She carried me all the way back home and through several thunders and lightning strikes.
My mother welcomed me with open arms and told me that everything is okay, that I was safe now. I welcomed her hug and let my tears soak into her shirt.
Moments later, I could feel Miss Sullivan and my mother talking from the vibrations in the room. Miss Sullivan later signed to me what they had said, “ I’m sorry for leaving Helen alone, please do not fire me!”
and then my mom simply said, “You did more for her in a couple years than I could ever do.”
So as I write right now, Miss Sullivan is drying me off from a long bath. And I’m writing so I never forget the fear I had today. I am now officially saying that I will never be left alone again.
Love,
Helen