SOPHIE HARRIS

My maternal grandparents are deaf.  Something most people don't realize is how the loss of one of the five senses can change so many different aspects of life.  For instance, my grandfather always carries a pen and paper in his pocket so he can communicate with hearing people in public places such as restaurants and stores.  My grandparents' house always seemed strange to me when I was a kid because have appliances set up to suit their needs.  When the doorbell rings, there is a lamp that flashes on and off.  When the telephone (which is actually a video phone) rings, there is no sound except for the clicking on and off of another lamp.  Even something as simple as waking up in the morning is different because they can't hear an alarm; they use a vibrating pillow.

 

My grandparents have always had an important role in my life.  They have been there for my family and me for almost everything.  My mother used to play piano and they would go to every recital even though they couldn't hear a thing.  The only way they could listen was to feel the piano while she played.  Even now they attend my brother's band concerts and my art shows. I admire my great-grandmother - my grandmother's mother - for all the work she did with deaf schools.  Art has especially helped me connect to my grandparents.  I know a limited amount of sign language, so naturally we communicate best through visuals that are understood in every language.  This project has definitely brought me closer to them and I am so thankful for that.