LIVING ON PURPOSE

BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD!

We are happy to announce that Laurie Mueller will be writing a regular column of inspiration and personal musings in this space. Please help me welcome Laurie to INSPIRED Magazine. You can reach her through her website below.
-Bobbie Jo Reid, Editor

I’m over the moon! (Is that a dated expression?) I am having my second eye operation to remove the cataracts that are dimming my vision. The miracle that happened after my first eye operation was a life changing event.

It’s been a long haul for me. I haven’t driven for over a year. My glasses weren’t working anymore. I couldn’t see far enough and on top of it, I was seeing two of everything. I couldn’t even sit in the front seat of the car without freaking out. “Careful!” I’d scream at my husband. “That car is in our lane and coming at us.” But it wasn’t even a real car; my two eyes were telling my brain something different. It became easier to stay home.

I spent the last 11 pandemic months reading, writing, and attending Zoom meetings. I noticed I was always sitting with my head next to the camera while other were sitting back. Why were they so far away from the screen? I wondered.

And when the eye specialist saw me, and I was on a wait list – lengthened even more when the hospitals stopped elective surgeries – I was advised my surgeries were finally scheduled!

Many of you have already had this experience. In my group of friends, most have been through the process. Before my first operation, I was on the phone with my friend Jannice, who had her operation just two days before. As we spoke, she was telling me about the ease of the operation, and when she looked up and out her picture window that overlooks the Esquimalt Lagoon and onto the Pacific Ocean, she exclaimed: “Oh! I can see the tree-tops! Oh! And when did they build those houses over there?” It was such a wondrous moment.

And then my first eye operation was over. At 10:30 a.m. I was sitting on a bench outside the hospital waiting for my husband to pick me up. The operation had been a snap. With apologies to my dentist friends, it was so much easier than going to the dentist! And yes, the sun was shining, and yes, I could read the time so clearly on the clock tower. And I could see the drivers in their cars. And, miraculously, I was only seeing one of everything. The world was brighter, so much brighter!

This winter has had its ups and downs. I lost my dear friend, Pat, and I got my sight back. They don’t balance out, but they certainly have been major events in my life. And then I was accepted as a contributor to this magazine!

April is bringing us into spring which represents new beginnings and hope for the future. This year, we have the promise of vaccines, longer days, and time outside. And, for me, brighter vision.

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Laurie Mueller

Laurie Mueller, M.Ed is retired and living in Victoria with her husband, Helmuth. She recently published The Ultimate Guide on What to Do When Someone You Love Dies, available on Amazon. More about Laurie can be found at www.lauriemconsulting.com or on Facebook.