Every once in a while you meet someone who inspires you with their humble confidence, loving heart and the dynamic to spread happiness with their presence.
I had the privilege of meeting such a person. I want to introduce her to you and spread a spark of her inspiration in your life.
Chanita is 85 years old. She is deaf and blind. I first met her last year in her home, where she lives with her niece, Luz Helena. That day, as I gently held her hand in mine, she pulled me in her arms, hugging me tightly as if we’d known each other a long time. Wrapped in her warm embrace, I felt there was something very special about this woman. I didn’t know what, but I wanted to know more about her.
Here’s what Luz Helena had to say about Chanita.
Chanita was born deaf. Due to a lack of resources for the disabled in Colombia and my grandparents’ difficult financial situation, she never got an education to learn sign language or develop any other skills.
Instead of limiting herself within the limits of her disability, Chanita used the world around her as her biggest playground and became her own best teacher.
She created her own sign language and expressed herself flawlessly.
It didn’t matter if she didn’t have the skills to do the things she enjoyed. Her childlike spirit of wonder and amazement let her overcome challenges and filled her with a passion to keep doing them the best she could.
Humble Confidence
My uncle played the classical guitar every time he came to the house. One day, Chanita took the guitar and made loud grunting vocal sounds, as if singing while playing the guitar. She knew not a single note and just ran her fingers through the strings. Determined to learn, she kept observing my uncle as he played and imitated him until she eventually got a sense of rhythm.
Fascinated with watching my daughters doing homework, Chanita explored conveying her emotions with a pencil and notebook. She could lose herself in her own world of imagination by scribbling squiggly lines for hours. We never knew what those squiggly lines meant. But the way she delicately held her pencil and intensely glided it across her notebook, we knew she was expressing her views and interpretations of her experiences. She has kept all her notebooks tucked safely in her nightstand drawer.
Dynamic To Spread Happiness
She loved social gatherings and enjoyed people’s company. She sprung to her feet with a wide toothy smile and greeted everyone that walked through the door with a big tender hug. When she sensed someone’s distress, she’d take their hand in hers; look deep in their eyes while gently caressing them. Then, she’d tell them a story using her own sign language along with high pitch vocal sounds, until they couldn’t help but chuckle and forget their troubles.
She loved having fun, dancing and laughing. Very often, when my family got together, we played music and danced. Chanita immediately strut her way to the speaker and felt the vibration of the music. Then, she’d create her own dance moves with an occasional loud honking laugh. It never failed, with just her presence, she lifted everyone’s mood and we joined in on her laugher and fun.
It was such a joy to watch her, deeply absorbed in everything she did. We all figured that since she had been born deaf, Chanita didn’t know anything else and it was the reason why she was so happy and fulfilled.
Divine, Loving Heart
Then six years ago, at 79 years old, Chanita caught a virus that left her blind. She underwent surgery, but it didn’t restore her eyesight. During her recovery, she kept pointing to the bandages on her eyes, communicating that her blindness was temporary. We prepared for the day of her devastation when the bandages came off and she’d realize that it was permanent.
Only, that day never came. Instead of having to comfort her devastation, we witnessed a whole new level of joy emanating from Chanita. She approached life with a deeper, more profound passion.
Every morning, she gleefully creeps along the walls and makes her way to the bathroom to shower by herself. Then, she smothers herself in a velvety, soft coconut scented body lotion, igniting her touch and smell senses by applying it over and over, before getting dressed. She chooses her own clothes with the touch of her hands and styles her own hair.
After breakfast, she immerses herself in things she’s passionate about. Whether it’s scribbling lines in her notebook, playing the guitar or dancing. Sometimes, she’ll sit by the window and enjoys feeling the warmth of the sun on her face. She’ll raise her head to the sky, give thanks to God and muffle a few sounds to praise the sun.
We always wondered if somehow, she still believes that she’s recovering. It’s been six years, and Chanita never went through a moment of grief or a difficult transition adapting to her blindness.
We strongly believe that in her still silence, she’s carried her childlike spirit and connected with a fierce Divine Love within herself. A love that doesn’t hang on to what she once had and let her embrace what she did have. A love that is not attached and identified with the physical world and gives with no expectations.
Instead of isolating herself, Chanita became even more affectionate with others. She uses a hug as an experience to pay attention to people and truly listen to them. In her touch, she shares their joy and laughter and fills them with a gentle, warm comfort in their sadness.
Whenever I feel angry, hurt or sad over a situation, Chanita senses it right away. She takes my hand and places it on my heart, keeping her hand over it and motions for me to stay quiet. She never gives me advice. We are left in silence with our hands on my heart. It brings my attention to my emotion, not on the situation. In that attention, with no words, I hear the whispers of my heart. I end up crying in Chanita’s arms, till it washes away the emotion.
Childlike spirit nurtures Divine Love within
Through her, I learned to let go of the things I used to complain about, and stopped wanting stuff I believed would bring me happiness. I don’t know that I’ll ever reach the same place within myself that Chanita has, but I learned to see the beauty and riches in my life. Chanita is the richest woman I’ve ever met.
She has the one thing that no amount of money could ever buy and that could never be taken away from her; divine Love within.
In her capacity to carry her childlike spirit, she nurtured her creativity. She has aged but hasn’t grown old. Her mind and heart are young, fresh and active every day. She taught me that the only way to be truly happy and never grow old is to carry the spirit of our inner child. The spirit that lets us let go of negative emotions, laugh for no reason, not limit ourselves to what we think we can do, be amazed and creative in trying new things and most of all to love unconditionally.
