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- Feb 22, 2009
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ANNE SULLIVAN
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
—The Bible
The story of Helen Keller is well known. She was born a normal baby but as a young child was stricken with a disease that left her blind and deaf. Her parents were unable to communicate with her or control her, and Helen grew up like an animal. In desperation, the family called for help, which arrived in the form of Anne Sullivan. Anne had the understanding and love to bring Helen “back into the real world.” How was it that she could perform such a miracle, when Helen’s parents and countless doctors had failed to make any progress? Where did Anne find such love and patience?
It all began at a mental institution in Boston, Massachusetts, where a young girl who exhibited violent behavior and was thought to be hopelessly insane, had been consigned by doctors to a “living death” in a cage in the facility’s basement. One elderly nurse, however, felt affection for the girl. She began to eat her lunch outside the youngster’s cage and sometimes left brownies within her reach. The girl seemed to ignore the brownies, but they would disappear as soon as the nurse left. Gradually, the little girl in the cage began to respond to the nurse’s love. She began to talk, became less violent, and started responding to other treatments. As her condition improved, the girl was removed from her cage and allowed to meet other patients, and quickly became a valued helper in the institution. She eventually was released from the facility and went on to lead a very productive life. That girl was Anne Sullivan.
CONSIDER THIS: Everyone needs care and love. Without them, there can be no worthwhile dreams. What personal mountains could be moved if people really showed a nurturing love for one another?
Submitted by Richard
“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
—The Bible
The story of Helen Keller is well known. She was born a normal baby but as a young child was stricken with a disease that left her blind and deaf. Her parents were unable to communicate with her or control her, and Helen grew up like an animal. In desperation, the family called for help, which arrived in the form of Anne Sullivan. Anne had the understanding and love to bring Helen “back into the real world.” How was it that she could perform such a miracle, when Helen’s parents and countless doctors had failed to make any progress? Where did Anne find such love and patience?
It all began at a mental institution in Boston, Massachusetts, where a young girl who exhibited violent behavior and was thought to be hopelessly insane, had been consigned by doctors to a “living death” in a cage in the facility’s basement. One elderly nurse, however, felt affection for the girl. She began to eat her lunch outside the youngster’s cage and sometimes left brownies within her reach. The girl seemed to ignore the brownies, but they would disappear as soon as the nurse left. Gradually, the little girl in the cage began to respond to the nurse’s love. She began to talk, became less violent, and started responding to other treatments. As her condition improved, the girl was removed from her cage and allowed to meet other patients, and quickly became a valued helper in the institution. She eventually was released from the facility and went on to lead a very productive life. That girl was Anne Sullivan.
CONSIDER THIS: Everyone needs care and love. Without them, there can be no worthwhile dreams. What personal mountains could be moved if people really showed a nurturing love for one another?
Submitted by Richard
