Getting Out of Myself

I wrote this for my son, Sedrick today. He's going through a hard time. I didn't want to lose the words so I'm posting them here.

Written: 12/29/17

Getting Out of Myself

By Andrea Broussard

I was thinking about something. When I was 24 years old I had surgery on my left ear. It was supposed to restore hearing in my ear. A one hour surgery turned into eight hours and a dismal failure. My left ear drum fell apart and they put a fake one in. I woke up from surgery with horrid ringing in my ears. My balance and equilibrium were shot. I could take two to three steps before I passed out. It was horrible and scared me to death.

Here I was with two little kids who depended on me. I had just a year sober. I had surgery on spring break from college classes. I couldn't miss class. I stationed folding chairs all around the house and out to the car so I could make it to the car without falling. If i was sitting I was ok. It was only if I was moving that I pass out within a few steps.

You and Alicia helped me. A classmate of mine met me at my car every day to carry a folding chair and help me walk in to class.  It took me all semester to get to where I could walk a long distance without falling. But little by little it got better. At the same time of all this I had to learn to live life with hearing loss and hearing aids. I was scared to death but I kept pushing forward baby step by baby step.

The next semester of college a deaf, black man started class with me. The teacher asked if someone would be is notetaker and lab partner. I remember looking around and not one person volunteered so I did. Here I am about half deaf myself trying to help this man. He was probably forty years old. I learned that he just woke up one day about six months  before to go to work and was completely deaf. It devastated him. He was trying to get retrained to care for his family.

He and I became good friends. He taught me about getting out of myself to help others even when I think I have nothing to give. He put my life in perspective and helped to see all I have to be grateful for. After that semester I never saw him again but I've never forgotten the gift he gave me of learning to get out of myself and help others.

Someday Sedrick when you're better God will put someone in your path to help. I promise you, then you'll understand why you're going through this. I know you can't save the world, no one can. But if you'll pray and ask God to put the person you're to help in your path and be receptive to it that person will come. It might be a family member or a random stranger. The help you give might be an encouraging post on facebook, a bended knee in prayer with someone or a fellow lupus sufferer who just needs to talk to someone who understands. See, I was the only one that could help that deaf man so long ago. When I was busy getting out of myself to help Him, God was working out my problems. Just ask God to show you what to do. He will. ❤

I guess I'm trying to tell you that God has a plan and a reason for this. I promise you, you will get through this. If I can make it through all the hell I've been through and still have a spark of hope in me you can too. I love you Sedrick!