Day 59: Sixth Sense

Travelling in the car today Deano with his face screwed up like he had bitten into a lemon asks "What's that smell, it smells like someone died in the backseat and we need to call a hurst to come and pick it up" One of our daughters had just removed her shoes and awkwardly embarrassed about her foot odour said she would throw her shoes into the boot of the car at the next stop. Until then it was windows down for the rest of us. For Deano to pick the smell up before it hit the noses of the rest of us is just one example of his heightened senses due to his blindness.

Lorin his brother who is also blind is somewhat famous in the cooperate speaking world. His guitar playing is astronomical with the way his is able to massage those strings to tell the world a story musically amazes people all over. His sense of touch is a gift that has sent him to stages he never expected as to be preforming on, sending a message to all within earshot that blindness can be overcome. Lorin is a motivational speaker and as such he gets to meet and associated with leaders all over the world. 

Yesterday he rang us and told us about the dinner date he had with General Stephen Day who is in command of the Australian Defence Force. Lorin being the excitable story teller that he is had us captivated whist He relayed to us the topics of conversation they covered over the dinner table. One such topic that Lorin asked the General about was what it was like to be in combat. Lorin imagining every nerve way in your body being electrifyingly heightened. General Day agreed with Lorin's  conclusion of what happens to your body when you are under attack saying it's your hearing you rely on before your vision, taking note of rustling noises in bushes, and other noises that will help save ones life in combat. Smell is another sense that is also alerted under extreme circumstances and often a returned soldier can be taken back to a scene of extremity just by the waft of something in the air as he is mentally right back on the battle field by a simple scent.

Lorin Father of Four, Motivational Speaker and world renowned guitarist, Louise mother of three, holds a Bachelor of Linguistics and is raising her children with her husband whilst he does his internship as a Doctor  in the US and Deano Father of four and holds a Degree in Natural Science and another in Business. All very accomplished through using all their senses to make them accomplished in whatever field they have chosen. The three of them inspire me everyday.

And so it is with these blind men and their blind sister Louise, whom is also an amazing mother of 3 daughters. I often hear comments that bring to my attention something I have not heard in my surroundings, just like the times my husband  hears our teenagers downstairs on the phone whispering sweet nothing to her boyfriend at 2am in the morning when she should be sleeping. ( so why can't he here me calling his name when I want some help with the chores...selective hearing I think they call it!) Deano's sense of smell has saved our lives one time. We were all asleep in bed and Deano returned home late from a meeting to find a fire in the kitchen contained to the stove where I had accidentally left the baby bottles boiling away to sterilise them. The smell of smoke I was blissfully unaware of until he burst through the door and woke me up. He said he could smell it as he approached the front door. The entire house had a blanket of thick smoke that had floated to the ceiling space. Evacuating the girls and myself and putting out the flames it was his sense of touch and smell that helped us out of what could have been a terrible outcome for all. Once again with his sense of touch Deano even to manage to find a tiny tick on the head of our toddler as he was brushing her hair one time when we were out camping. There is no way I would have found it before she was sick. His hearing is so acute that if I was to drop a coin even on carpet he is able to tell me that I had dropped money and tell me what denomination it was. 

Our children over the years have learnt that although their Dad can't see they don't seem to get away with too much because what they have realised is Dad has a six sense...it's called his wife...and what Dad can't see I can and it's for this reason we make an awesome couple of parents. Just like General Day ready to go into battle against the world, with all of our senses switched on we go about our day trying to protect our family with honesty, love and integrity. It's not been an easy journey but nothing good is ever easy! 

Louise with her baby daughter meeting our Dog Bruce in the park