Author: Sheri Denkensohn-Trott
I am a planner, so it is surprising that every year I don’t check to see if we have Hanukkah candles. I know the dates, they are on my calendar, so one would think that I’d have everything needed for the celebration. Not this year. It’s even crazier because our tree was up and decorated!
My great-nephew lives in Michigan, and we started a tradition two years ago to light the candles together over zoom. So, on the first night of Hanukkah, we had zoom all set up and one hour before “go” time we realized that we had no candles. I was frantic.
I started searching online like a maniac. CVS, the local grocery stores, everywhere was out of candles. Next step, text everyone in my building that I know celebrates Hanukkah to ask for two candles. I then texted my neighbor up the street to see if I could come get two candles. But it would be cutting it close timewise. Just as she texted me back to say that I could get them, my neighbor across the hall responded to my text and said that she had just returned from services at synagogue and had left a box of Hanukkah candles outside of my door. I was ecstatic! What were the chances?
We had a lovely candle lighting with my great nephew. And sufficient candles to last us through Hanukkah. But trust me, I’m going to be on the lookout for candles. I might even go on a search now that the holiday is over and see if I can buy them for next year. They don’t expire. My neighbor was our miracle of lights this year.
auditory neuropathy. I am not even going to try to explain that but suffice it to say that it is significantly different from the type of hearing loss associated with aging and conventional hearing aids don’t solve the issue. My hearing loss is a lack of clarity and distinction of sounds and not one of loudness. Basically, what I hear when someone is speaking to me is nothing but a jumble of sounds and with a regular hearing aid, that just becomes a louder jumble! I did get a cochlear implant which helps some, but my hearing is still far from perfect.
with unhappiness and depression. My situation is what it is, and although loss of music is hard, I can still find other things to enjoy and not dwell on my lack of ability to hear music.
matchmaker. The ceremony was in a church and then the reception was at a delightful coffeehouse. We ate delicious food and had a few drinks! Despite feeling old, we got our second wind and even went to the after party.
That’s when the quick thinking comes in. As a wheelchair user, it always seems that something happens at the worst time. You are either tired, somewhere far away from where you need to be, or stuck with a chair that won’t work for some unknown reason. And there is no one that can solve the problem except you. And we did. We had two solutions.
the problem. I guess as wheelchair users and individuals with disabilities we take it for granted, but we are problem solvers every day. It is part of having a disability. While sometimes annoying (especially when you are out in the cold) in the end it is a positive characteristic. Stay calm, think about options, and then figure it out. That’s the best way to go.