Month: December 2021

Categories
Character

Be Thankful in All Circumstances

Thank God

A call to gratitude at the end of the year suggests I forgot to flip the calendar from November to December. Not so. Rather, it’s my reflection on the 2021 events for which I am grateful; a time to thank God for His goodness because His faithful love endures forever as declared in every verse of Psalm 136.

I’m thankful that the June diagnosis of Macular Schisis was in my left eye which has the lens implant for reading. Despite my left eye being unable to read the top letter on the eye chart, my right distance lens implant can read with magnification glasses and enables me to continue driving.

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Clearly the failure of eye drops to resolve the eye schisis and a November diagnosis of a hole in the macular was not good news. But I’m thankful that I was referred for surgery to the world renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Palm Beach Gardens with a highly acclaimed surgeon. The decision of my brother and sister to fly more than 9,000 miles from Sydney, Australia to West Palm Beach, Florida and the timing of international COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted to make this possible was a blessing. Their support were crucial to my making it through the post-surgery constraint of being face down 24/7 for seven days.

Robert repeatedly falling out of bed was a major concern, but highlighted his need for a bedrail, to put the ‘botox in the bladder’ procedure on the schedule, and for physical therapy. I’m glad that all three interventions helped to prevent further falls. Although I confess I’m still working on appreciating his refusal to follow his exercise regime.

The prayer and practical support of my church family during the weeks of our incapacity were indispensable and gratifying.

I’m thankful that God protected us from being exposed to COVID-19 and that our double vaccination came without side effects. One way of staying safe at home was to order home delivered groceries. Our neighbors even benefited when my order for nine individual bananas was misinterpreted as an order for nine pounds of bananas!

Every two weeks we appreciate Dilma’s house cleaning services. She even discovered a leak in the toilet soon enough that we could benefit from the generosity of Robert’s cousin who fixed the problem before major damage was caused. Maintenance issues in an aging home are inevitable so when the pool pump and water softener both needed replacing we were grateful our savings were sufficient to cover the cost.

Through it all, I appreciate being able to complete the last book in my dwarfism trilogy, Always An Advocate. I’m thrilled at the excellent contributions made by the editor, book cover designer, typesetter, endorsers, and book reviewers. (NOTE: the audiobook is expected to release in January 2022.)

So I wrap up the year with this advise, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (New Living Translation)

For information on my writings, go to my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com.

Categories
Celebrations

Christmas Lights

Christmas

Many have given up listening to the news. They are overwhelmed by the darkness and despair reported about horrific crimes, natural disasters, dismal economic forecasts, and global health crises. But Christmas is a time when people look for a break from the darkness. They pause from their routines and hope for a season of love, peace and joy.

People go to great lengths to decorate, buy the perfect gifts, and be together with family and friends. Robert and I are no exception. We have driven hundreds of miles and flown thousands of miles to be with family at Christmas.

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For Christmas 1983 we treasured the time with Robert’s relatives in Munster, Indiana despite the December 25th headline in the Chicago Tribune: “25 below! It’s misery.” Three years later we loved the time with my family in a summer and sandy Christmas gathering at the beach in Whangamata, New Zealand.

There are many traditions associated with Christmas, but central to the celebration are the lights that sparkle in candles, Christmas trees, and houses lit up with strings of Christmas lights. The lights take away the darkness and brighten our spirits. We sing carols that proclaim the light Jesus birth brought to the world. For example, the third verse of Silent Night describes Jesus as “Son of God, love’s pure light.” Even more precious are Jesus own words:

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

Cancel culture has tried to rob us of the true meaning of Christmas. It offers the glitz without being plugged into the source of the light. We need to debunk this lie and freely declare that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Immanuel, God with us, is the greatest gift of all.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19.

And there’s more good news. The light that Jesus brought to the world is not limited to Christmas day. It shines every day of the year. And those who follow Jesus are appointed to beam as His lights.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16.

So as we celebrate Christmas this year, let us bask in Jesus light and share it with all who are willing to listen.

Bible verses are from the New Living Translation.

Visit my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com to subscribe to my weekly blog and learn about my memoirs published in a dwarfism trilogy.

Categories
Open

Just Call Me A Ding-a-Ling

Communication

You might think I lost my mind choosing to celebrate National Ding-a-Ling Day on December 12th. After all ding-a-lings are people considered nitwits or kooks. But no, in this case, the ding-a-ling is a throw-back reference to the sound of bells heard when the phone rang or the phrase “ring a bell” when reminded of something important or familiar.

Ding-a-Ling Day reminds us of the importance of staying connected with friends and family and encourages people to pick up the phone and call someone they haven’t spoken to in a while. It’s a day to curb our tendency to lose touch with people when we change schedules, schools, jobs or relocate to another city.

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In our 40 years of marriage we have racked up all of these changes, including relocations from Virginia to Maryland to Ohio to New York to Florida. As a result, we have lost touch with many people we care about.

But a phone call can change all that. Hearing the voice of a friend or family member is the next best thing to being together. We can close the gap of distance by sharing our news, laughter or tears, and concern for one another. Mood can be detected. Miscommunications can be straightened out.

This year, Ding-a-Ling Day rang a loud bell with me . I had deep-seated regret for being so disconnected from a friend in Little People of America (LPA) that I didn’t even know she was in a losing battle with cancer until she was in Hospice care! I had taken the relationship for granted and presumed we would catch up the next time I saw her at an LPA conference. If only I had picked up the phone now and then.

Even though December 12th has passed this year, it’s never too late to call someone. And we don’t need to limit ourselves to calling once a year. Why not pick up the phone whenever we’re thinking of someone? Call someone today. As the saying goes, “yesterday is gone, today is almost over, and tomorrow isn’t promised.”

Be a ding-a-ling in the life of someone you care about.

#National Ding-a-Ling-Day

BOOK NEWS: The first book in my dwarfism trilogy, “Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses,” is now available as an e-book on Kindle. Read the portion of my memoir from birth through my twenties. See my development in family, school, work, and public life. Download it on Amazon.com.

Categories
Inclusion International

International Disability Fundraising Principles

Money

According to the United Nations there are one billion people with disabilities in the world! You might have read that this week as December 3rd was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. So how do I write a post with universal appeal? Well upon prayerful reflection and relaxing at the tail end of the Thanksgiving Day parade, I settled on fundraising.

So what does that fundraising have to do with disability? A lot.

Although most of my mail is from charities asking for money, I understand the need and don’t object. But when it comes to disability charities, there are some principles that are essential to protect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.

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When Robert worked for a nonprofit charity, we stood on these principles at great personal cost. The doctor directing his work recruited a marketing executive to write a draft letter intended for a direct mailing to potential donors. The draft featured both of us, but was so far off base we did not even recognize ourselves. It was clear that the writer knew nothing about little people—much less Robert or me personally.

Indeed, his fundraising philosophy was to tug at the emotional purse strings of the intended donors. The letter was loaded with images of dependency, distress, exaggerations, and offensive words like victim, crippled, plight, and suffering. Robert was portrayed as a pitiful poster child type needing to be rescued from pain and the jaws of death. He was depicted as a patient, not a professional. There was no mention of him being a biomedical engineer with a master’s degree coming to the organization to do medical research.

When we refused to endorse the letter, the only change was the removal of the fictional story about me—the pity-party philosophy still dominated. We met with the letter writer to explain that such fundraising tactics cause little people to be pitied and patronized. In turn, such misrepresentations hinder any conception of little people as equal contributing members of society.

We also presented our philosophy that preserved Robert’s dignity and argued that donors respond to knowing that their contribution is a worthy investment in a people with ability, determination, resilience, hope, and a future. Clearly, the writer was hearing such ideas for the first time. We hoped he could see that our philosophy and his letter were incompatible.

Despite numerous attempts to reach common ground, all draft letters continued with the same gut wrenching appeal for funds. Robert could not agree to this use of his name and person. He could not endorse a letter that encouraged potential donors to view little people as helpless victims dependent on charity. It was a matter of principle.

A parting of the ways was inevitable when the nonprofit secretly mailed the letter without Robert’s knowledge or permission.

These principles apply whatever your country or disability.

This post is a condensed version of chapter 6, Fundraising and Principle, in “Pass Me Your Shoes.”

DWARFISM TRILOGY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: email me at angela@angelamuirvanetten.com to request all three books autographed—Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses, Pass Me Your Shoes, and Always an Advocate—for $20, plus $4.00 postage.