I can see God's blessings all around

At first, he wasn't sure what was wrong with the lady sitting next to him. She had bruises around her eyes, as if she may have just undergone plastic surgery. It had to have been painful, although she seemed to be in a great mood.

Jack, my husband, didn't want to be intrusive, but when you're sitting arm-to-arm with someone, that sometimes can be quite challenging -- especially for the ever-outgoing Jack.

He chose not to strike up a conversation on this day, but was delighted when the lady sitting to the left of him on his recent flight to Memphis began talking.

What followed would be something that touched Jack enough for him to tell me all about it, as soon as he landed in Memphis.

"You'll never guess who I just met," Jack told me.

"Who?" I wondered in excitement. I was expecting Jack to tell me he met a famous country music singer who opted to sit in coach for whatever reason.

"At first, I thought she was just weird," he said, feeling a bit ashamed for having judged the woman. "She was obsessive about using eye drops ... But guess what," he said, sounding like a 10-year-old boy. "She had just had a cornea transplant!"

Jack thought that was just so cool, as I wondered what the big deal about it was.

Forgive me for being so insensitive ... I really was in a hurry and wasn't thinking. Key words, wasn't thinking.

And then I thought for a minute ... "What do you mean, a cornea transplant?" I asked.

Jack said she had just had surgery that restored her sight after 20 years of blindness. The woman sitting next to my husband was 30 years old -- my age -- and had spent all of her teens and 20s blind.

Now Jack had my attention.

I wanted to know every detail. What happened to her, what was she going through now, was she in pain, how did it feel to look outside the plane window and see the blue sky, sunshine and white and fluffy clouds?

Jack said when the woman was 10, an accident caused her to lose her sight. The cornea transplant had restored her sight, although she did have to put eye drops in her eyes every two minutes.

Still slightly insensitive, I asked Jack if she would have to do that forever, to which he answered, "Yes, but Sadie, isn't that better than the alternative?"

This woman was tickled to death -- eye drops and all -- to be on a flight that would eventually land her in Denver, where she would go skiing for the very first time in 20 years.

And I'm worried about turning 30 because my hair will start turning gray ... shame on me.

The story Jack shared with me was certainly touching, and just one of those little reminders we all need every-so-often to be grateful for what we do have; our senses being one of the greatest gifts God has given us.

Today, I can see my monitor as I type this column. I can see people's expressive faces as they brave the windy, freezing weather. I can see the camels that live on my road when I drive home for lunch. I can see a beautiful painting when I go to Jerry Ward's studio later this morning. I can see my dog, my friends, my food and all of life's other little blessings.

I can see.

-- Sadie Fowler is a Times-Gazette staff writer. Her column, Sadie Says, runs every Thursday. She may be reached at sfowler@t-g.com or 684-1200 ext. 214.