Sound Advice by Ruth D. Bernstein
I usually begin my day with a mug of hot ginger tea which gives me a warm, comforting and slightly spicy start. I also get a bit of philosophy from the Yogi Company tea bag tags. Two of the tags recently caught my attention because they speak to my passion for making hearing loss visible.
The first tag — “Find strength in knowing you can make a difference in the world” — reminded me that the columns I write for CHC, the online talks I give at DOROT, and the people I counsel individually mean I am making a difference in the world. The second tag — “The world needs your unique gifts, don’t leave with them still inside you” — reinforces that.
Both remind me to keep doing what I am doing and support my acts of tikkun olam, a Jewish concept defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. Tikkun olam has become synonymous with the notion of social action and the pursuit of social justice.
I am sure you are asking yourself where I am going with this. Hearing loss is an invisible disability. As a Valentine’s Day gift to yourself and the hearing loss community, I want each of my readers to recognize their inner strengths and ask for the accommodations and help they need to make their world hearing accessible. Reach out to people who can benefit from your experiences. Our collective voices will, hopefully, help make hearing loss visible, our world hearing accessible and create more tikkun olam.
If you need help or want support reaching out, contact me at buzz@chchearing.org or share a comment below.
Thank you for your efforts and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ruth D. Bernstein Hearing Access Ambassador