The sounds of nature through my eyes.......

This week is Spring Break for my kids. Monday was my day off work. Hannah had her best friend, Chloe spend the night. It was a gorgeous spring day. Although there was a little chill in the air, the sun is shining and the sun feels warm as I step out on the patio. I was trying to think of something free or cheap to do with the girls. I yearned to be outside since I have a love affair with the sun..... then it hit me. I go back inside and I ask the girls, "What do you think about going hiking today and then going to Rita's afterwards?" Their eyes widened with excitement and they hurry to change into long pants and get their shoes on. We make the drive to the Bill Yeck Park in Sugarcreek Reserves. I hear the girls chattering away in the back seat. I glance in my rearview mirror occasionally and I catch the sweet and innocent smiles on their face as they talk intently with one another. We arrive at the park and make our way down the long steps toward our two hour long hike. I am a few steps ahead and I hear them talking with excitement. Hannah tells me she remembers hiking here before. I asked Chloe if she has hiked here before and she tells me this is her first time hiking and I could sense the excitement in her voice. I knew this would be a good day with the girls. As we walk along, I feel the warmth of the bright sun on my face. It was just enough to take the chill off. The sky is blue. Everything is starting to bloom. As we make our way to the trail we hop around the muddy areas of grass being careful not to get our shoes soaked and muddy. As I walk along the trail, I see signs of life....the yellow grass turning to shades of green, the viny plants starting to grow, the little blooms on the branches of the trees, the water rushing swiftly along the creek, birds flying freely in the air......spring is here! This day almost iconic to me. I see spring as a new birth, a new season, in other words.....a new life. I'm thinking to myself as I see new life coming anew through nature, my life is changing in that very same sense. I imagine myself getting the cochlear implant and how everything will change. It will be a new life. I sometimes wonder if I will be like a butterfly making its way out of its cocoon ready to explore the world. I'm excited. I can't wait. Along the walk, I wonder about the sounds of nature. I wonder what it will be like to hear the grass crunch underneath my shoes as I walk. I can only imagine it to sound like paper crumpling. I think to myself how cool it would be to understand some of what the the girls are saying without lipreading as they walk behind me. There is a little wind in the air. I wonder to myself if I will hear the wind better. I imagine it to be like a whooshing sound or maybe a gentle blowing sound. The girls throw stones in the creek. I hear small splashes but I wonder how it really sounds sometimes. I imagine it to sound like big smacks against the water or big drips. We edge our way to the creek. There are big stepping stones across the creek. I sit down on a large rock on the side of the creek as the girls sit on the rocks in the middle of the creek. I watch them dig in the water with sticks and play with the water. Hannah looks up at me and smiles. I asked Hannah if Chloe knows what is happening with me. Chloe looks up confused and says, "What?" I asked her if her Mom told her what was going to be happening with me soon and she still looks confused. Hannah tells Chloe, "my mom is going to be getting a cochlear so she can hear. " Chloe exclaims "Oh my gosh, congratulations!" and smiles at me. So I get into a conversation with them about sounds of nature. I asked Hannah if she could hear the water rushing down the creek and she says,  "yes, it sounds very beautiful." I imagine it to sound very calming as it sloshes against the rocks. I talk about birds and crickets chirping and wonder how that sounds and Chloe pipes in and says "I heard a bird chirping today!" It was a really cool conversation to have with them and I tell them I want to bring them back here after I get my implant so I can hear all the sounds they are hearing. They both smiled at me and said "Oh yes!" We get up and make our walk back to the car. I think how amazing it would be to come back with the girls and experience the sounds of nature in a whole new way. My Mom once told me that I have a very keen sense of observation and that is one thing I know will never change after my implant. I often wonder what it will be like to hear sounds of nature not only through my eyes but my ears also.......like a butterfly, I'm excited to make my way to explore this new world of beautiful sounds! Hopfully my approval letter will come very soon........