30 Thankful Days in Photos: Day 10

I wanted to follow up on yesterday's post with a topic that is dear to my heart.
Yesterday I expressed my gratitude for the sounds around me. Today I want to express my gratitude for the opposite. I will elaborate:
In Washington, I had a great friend named Beth. She is deaf. She, her husband (also deaf), and her family started coming to church. Although she had hearing children who could interpret, I really felt a closeness to her that inspired me to learn ASL (American Sign Language). I checked out books at the library, and went to her house quite often to ask her how to sign words or phrases that were hard. I became fluent in conversational sign language.
My friendship with Beth opened up another world I didn't know existed! I went on a date with a guy who was deaf. I met other deaf and hard-of-hearing people. I became friends with many of them. They would sign so quickly to each other, but I loved to watch intently and absorb all I could. There were times when I, as a hearing person, was in the minority. But I felt completely comfortable.
Something I have learned from the deaf community: they are some of the most giving, open, patient people. They become fast friends and are very accepting. They are warm and generous. They are skilled and intelligent, and have a wisdom that shows deep insight.
Beth became my best friend for a couple of years until I moved away. I loved signing with her. We would have races to finger-spell the alphabet with both hands. I sometimes won!
The best thing about learning ASL has been the ability to express myself. In spoken English, there are so many times when a word eludes me. In ASL, I can express my emotions. It's not just signing words, but emotions, thoughts, feelings, and using facial expressions. I found ASL to be very liberating!
I once met a man who was both deaf and blind. He used sign language to communicate. When I signed back, he would lightly touch my hands to feel what I was signing. This was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had. So many people in the world would dismiss such a person. But he was full of life! He had opinions, he was caring!
Today I am thankful for the deaf community. I have used my ASL in many settings. I've interpreted for a wedding, I've interpreted at the doctor's office, I've taught a missionary discussion in ASL, I've taught beginning ASL to many people, I've met people I would have never met before! I have loved meeting deaf people, even here in Germany! If I'd never learned ASL, I would truly be missing out. I have learned things from the deaf community that I couldn't have learned otherwise. I love them, and just want to express my gratitude for them.