It is difficult to describe how significant this day was for me. Mary has been in eye therapy for, I suppose, about one year now, probably more. We were referred to Dr. Duval by our friend Moroni Hair, while I was doing tithing with him after church. He had a son with a lazy eye, and Dr. Duval was a miracle worker for his son.
We signed Mary up, and Dr. Duval had an entire methodology about how to help Mary’s lazy eye start to work with her brain better in concert with her other eye. The catch? Lots and lots of homework. It was supposed to be 5 days a week. At best, I averaged 2-3 days a week, some weeks were definitely better, some weeks were definitely worse. I think it was equally hard for me and Mary to do. I’d finish a long day of work and feel exhausted, and she would have finished school, piano, and homework, and often feel sad that others could play while she did eye exercises. Last spring, I felt my motivation to finish strong waning, so I made this hundred chart, to motivate both me and Mary to finish strong.
I had to reschedule her graduation one time when we didn’t quite finish the hundred chart on-time, but the fact is, this week we finished it, in time for her graduation today. I am so proud of that girl. I’m also thrilled because last month Dr. Duval said she officially no longer has a lazy eye. That was even before her graduation today! I feel so blessed for Dr. Duval, and his knowledge of how to get eyes working together. Mary made steady progress the entire time we were with Dr. Duval, and I also have to hand it to his staff who were always so cheerful, knowledgeable, and focused. It would honestly be worth it to hang out in the office just so the positive happy vibe can rub off on me. At any rate, I feel so blessed that God connected me to Moroni who referred me to Dr. Duval, for Dr. Duval and his staff, for Mary for putting in the work to improve, and for Lily for being so supportive and managing so many things while I was working with Mary (food, cleanup, Lydia’s harp, baby-duty etc). Today was a truly special day.
When we arrived, one of the first things that happened was we got our homework for the next two months. Seriously, my heart broke a little bit. I really thought homework would mostly be done at the graduation, but this is a lighter battery of homework, and if Mary does well on the two-month check-up, she might be done with homework for good. I’m taking a week or two before ramping back into the homework. I am so so so tired of her eye exercises. Not tired of doing them with her. I honestly loved, and hope to always remember that one on one time we spent together. It was truly special. But I am very tired of just having one more thing to do every day before I feel like the work for the day is done. I look forward to being free of that. And I know that Mary does too.
After we got our homework assignment, Mary got her new pair of glasses which look so adorable on her. She did such a good job picking them! Then she wore a cap and gown and walked around the office while everyone clapped for her while they played Mary’s song of choice “Seven Years Old” by Lukas Graham. Then she picked a Hatchimals prize from the prize rack. Then she got her picture taken with her certificate (my phone was dead at that point). I felt zombie-like and tired, but it was such a special occasion. To make it even more special, Lydia tagged along for the build-a-bear excursion, but got to be a part of the graduation too. It was such a special evening.
After the graduation, we went to the promised build-a-bear trip. Mary and Lydia each picked a bear and some accessories. When what they picked exceeded the budget I declared, they were so sweet and said they didn’t need the bed accessories they picked. They were so nice about it that I told them I would go ahead and get the beds for them. I have such sweet girls, and they behaved so well that I was happy to make sure this was a fully special night for them.
Congratulations Mary my sweet girl!!