On today’s episode of the Storyworth podcast, Krista talks to Sue, Jean, and Pat – three sisters who grew up with a deaf father and a deaf and mute mother. The sisters reflect on how life was different and on their mother’s last wish.
Sue: You know, I think for myself, when I was growing up, I always felt like my parents were like everybody else's parents.
I did not see them as being different or unusual. And I think maybe I was. six or seven, eight, somewhere in that vicinity. And neighborhood kids would make a comment. I remember one who had made a comment that her mother had said that my mother was deaf and dumb… and I was angry and offended. And I didn't understand the term dumb, as in she couldn't speak. And I knew she was deaf, you know, it's just common knowledge. You know, like your mom has blonde hair or whatever. And then that was not a problem for me, but I was very offended. And she said, no, it means that she can't talk.
Pat: She was embarrassed about being deaf and she didn't like people, she'd like to go out into the world and pretend that she was hearing, uh, and she did all sorts of stratagems to do that. It was very apparent to all of us that if you started signing to her when you were out, she would grab your hands and put them down and you know, it was, you know, it was a not here, not now.
