Why Now? Part One

At my first appointment with Dr. Slater, he looked over all the hearing tests, scans, case notes, and everything in my file, and asked me, "You've obviously been a candidate for a cochlear implant for a long time. Why now?" 

Here's part of the answer, and I dare say, my main motivation.

These two girls are the reason why. I want my children to be able to play at the park without being tethered to my side because I can't hear them calling me. I want to talk to my children in the car to learn how pre-school was that day and who bonked heads with whom and what kind of snack they had. I want to talk to my children without having them repeat themselves, especially after a story has taken considerable effort to tell in the first place. I want to hear the crash that warns of a playtime disaster. I want my children to know that I am listening, always listening, and that their words are so important to me. I want to hear my baby crying in her room upstairs. I want to be able to sing happy songs with my girls. I want to be comfortable taking the phone call from school telling me that my child is sick and needs to be picked up. I want to be able to watch silly movies and cartoons and puppet shows.  I want my children to know that they are safe with me and that I can take care of them. I want to hear all the funny little things that they say when they are playing together. I want to my children to enjoy all the happy things a childhood has to offer, without being held back by their mother's limitations.