Editor’s Note: All of us at VisionAware wish mothers everywhere a happy Mother’s Day. Over the years, the peers have written a great deal about Mother’s Day and being a blind or visually impaired mom, and we wanted to share some of their stories.
Deanna Noriega–Review of Daddy Won’t Let Mom Drive a Car
With Mother’s Day approaching, I thought I would tell you about Jo Elizabeth Pinto’s wonderful book, Daddy Won’t Let Mom Drive the Car. It’s a great book for blind parents.
In short vignettes, this author touches on many aspects of being a blind mother, raising a bright creative child. She has a light touch and a terrific way of drawing the reader on with her as she attempts to bring up her daughter in a world that too often tells women with disabilities that they shouldn’t be parents.
This book is tender and hilarious, but doesn’t avoid dealing with her doubts and concerns. Jo Elizabeth is a talented writer, capturing the joys and challenges of being a mother, the techniques she uses and the adventures she has raising Sarah.
More Great Posts About Mother’s Day
Mary with Older Grandchildren
Let’s go back in time and enjoy Mary Hiland’s post about being a blind mother and her poignant reflections: “One of the greatest compliments I ever received came from her (my daughter’s) husband when I had gone to help out following the birth of their first baby. On the day I was to leave, my son-in-law and my daughter came to me and asked if I could stay two more days. I must have been doing something right, because how many times does a young father ask his mother-in-law to stay longer? Perhaps one day, when she isn’t dealing with teenage drama and running after a two-year-old, she’ll tell me her side of the story.”
Deanna Noriega has also written about her experiences on motherhood with vision loss. She happened to be in the Peace Corps when her eldest daughter was born! In her post, she gives lots of tips on raising a child!
A fun post to read is the Fun and Joy of Motherhood. This post is part of our Laughter is the Best Medicine series and includes hilarious vignettes about eating out and shopping with kids.
Finally we have last year’s post, written during the depths of the COVID-19 outbreak, in which we discussed Celebrating Our Mother’s Day, No Matter the Distance. Thankfully, with the availability of vaccinations, celebrations may be more personal this year. But the sentiments remain the same. Deanna sums up this feeling in her tribute to her mother entitled, My Mother, the Wind Beneath My Sails.