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| The ASL sign for "word" |
When I was 11, my church started a deaf ministry program and offered sign language classes to anyone who was interested. I loved learning how to sign and looked forward to Sunday mornings where I could sing the hymns with my voice and my hands, and I could hear and see the words of the sermon as they were translated.
I made new friends through the ministry. We sat together during church and sometimes met for lunch afterwards.
I surprised my neighbor by introducing myself to her elderly father. I spent many hours with him, "listening" to stories of his youth and admiring his artwork.
A year later, we moved to another state, and I fell out of the practice of signing. I still remember a few words and, of course, the alphabet, but I have forgotten most of what I learned. But I will never forget the friends who welcomed me into their silent world with jokes and laughter and songs - friends that would likely have remained silent strangers without a common language to bring us together
5 comments:
I think sign language is great to learn. When it comes to the challenge WORDS
spontaneously a phrase comes into my mind:
if you dont understand my silence, you wont understand my words.
Have a wonderful weekend
Paula
Hi Paula! I really like that. I hope you have a great weekend, too. :)
I always wanted to learn how to sign. I admire anyone who takes the time to learn to communicate in that way.
Thanks, Ada! I wish that I had more opportunity to use it, then maybe I would not have forgotten so much.
Beautiful story. I didn't realize sign language is like any other language - if you don't practice, you forget.
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