One of the most inspiring people in my life was my third grade teacher Mrs. Tillinghast.  You see she was BLIND and she was a fabulous teacher and person.  She always had control of her classroom.  Her hearing and other senses were so acute she could hear anyone passing a note and knew exactly who was softly laughing or whispering during class.  She respected her students and expected the same in return.  I liked her teaching style, she didn’t just read to us or have us read out of the book.  She also asked many questions about the material which helped me to memorize the important parts and helped me to start to think more for myself.  She was a remarkable woman.

When I was in high school I returned and worked for her.  At the elementary school I would grade the handwritten papers of the children.  I also drove her to the grocery store and helped her to shop.  She taught me how to find a ripe cantaloupe – smell where the stem was, if it smells like cantaloupe it is ripe! I remember watching her walk around the store and outside in general with her red-tipped cane.  She walked with confidence and stood tall.  She also did a lot of cooking at home. I was amazed by the number of things she could do even though she was blind.

One day I asked her to share her story with me.  She had become blind from detached retinas, first one eye then a year or so later the other eye. I believe she was in her thirties.   When the problem was first diagnosed she spent a period of time almost on her head to try and get it to reattach.  When that was unsuccessful she went to the school for the blind to learn how to function without her sight.  She spent many months at the school learning how to do all the daily things without her sight such as cooking, cleaning, walking outside and crossing streets.  She could not return to her old job so she wanted to become a teacher.  I was very impressed she returned to school and received her teaching degree while blind.

She inspired me because she did not give up when she lost her sight.  She didn’t play the role of a victim and want people to wait on her because she was blind.  She learned how to do things for herself as much as possible.  She also learned when to ask for help.  She was very real about her limitations but didn’t give into them, she simply worked around them.  That is way she is inspirational to me.  I hope this story inspires you not to give up when experiencing physical or emotional pain.  You can play the victim and let pain manage you or like Mrs. Tillinghast, you can manage it and live a full life.  My 5 step system involves your body, mind and spirit and allows you to take control of pain.  Let’s talk about your challenges and see how to overcome them.

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Laurie Ratto, RN, BSN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain.  She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.