Heart Sight (ePub)

Growing up visually impaired from a very young age was difficult and challenging in all aspects--physically, mentally, and emotionally. There were many hurdles I had to overcome and endure, but through it all, it has taught me to see with my heart and not my eyes.

Say you go to the store to buy some peanuts. You bring them home to eat... Now just by looking at the shell, you can't tell if the peanuts inside are rotten or not. You actually have to crack the shell open to see if the peanuts are rotten or not. Seeing with your heart and not your eyes is the same way. You need to look inside a person to see their heart because you can't tell how a person is just by looking from the outside. Looks can be deceiving. Looks can't tell you if the person has a mental illness or if they have a kind heart or not.

I went to see Christopher and Nickolas in NH for two weeks. The visit with them was going well until one night we were all sitting at the table talking and their cousin made a statement that really set me off. She said, "If you knew your kids had a chance of being like this [meaning mentally handicapped], why did you have kids?" Now what was said about my sons is the reason I decided to start a YouTube channel (Eileen Veilleux The Fam) dealing with educating people about different mental health issues and teaching different strategies and techniques to help cope with stress, anxiety, and loneliness. If I help one person to see with their heart and not their eyes or help one person who suffers from anxiety, stress, or depression, then I accomplish my goal.