As I put my fingers on the computer, there’s a total eclipse going on. This doesn’t matter to me! Being blind, I don’t have to worry about staring into it, nor, do I have to worry about how dark it is outside. The world looks the same to me!  

This got me thinking. If the sun represents the good, and the moon represents the bad, then, how often do we let the bad block out the good in our lives?   

We know the “bad” is only temporary, and yet, we view this phenomenon as a huge catastrophic event

What if the eclipse is only the eclipse?  

What if there isn’t any good or bad?  

So many times, we see what we want to see and we ignore the rest. It’s like we’re Blind to our surroundings. We don’t get out our tools canes to assist us. We muddle along, tripping and falling, blaming the walls of life for getting in our way.    

News flash! It’s not the wall’s fault for standing there! The wall is just the wall! The moon is just the moon! The bad is just the bad!  

When I use a white cane, it is natural for me to run into people. Inevitably, the person always says, “Sorry! Sorry!” It’s almost like they’re blaming themselves for me running into them!   

The cane’s job is to find the object. Whether that object is a wall or a person. As the cane user, I have nothing to be sorry about. I and my cane are doing what we’re supposed to be doing. And you, the sighted person, are doing what you’re supposed to be doing, standing there. Neither one of us has any reason to be sorry.   

So, you see, the eclipse will pass, the moon will move on, and the sun will come out tomorrow. It’s how you navigate during the eclipses that matter.   

Do you wear protective glasses when you know the eclipse is coming?  

Do you stare at it or turn away?  

Do you ignore the event altogether?   

The moon has just as much value as the sun. We need a little trial in life to show us what’s important. I think we can better navigate our eclipses if we believe in ourselves, have a little grace, gratitude, and humor, and are willing to step boldly forward. So, the next time a blind person runs into you, try not to apologize, feel embarrassed, or guilty. Simply say, “Oh, I’m in your way, so nice to meet you! Here, let me move so you can get past.” In this way, you will face a little eclipse, change the way you see, change the way you relate to others, and change the way you live!