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Chaplain’s Corner

“The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.” ~ Helen Keller

Helen Keller was such a wise lady, yet she was unable to see or hear and until she was a teenager she was unable to speak or communicate with the world around her.

When Helen was a teenager her parents found an amazing lady to be her companion and tutor. A lady who had the patience and wisdom to find ways to enable Helen to grow and develop into the woman she became.

Helen Keller more than anyone, knew these words to be true as she learned to feel things with her heart in order to develop a sense of the people around her.

I believe that even when we have the gift of sight and hearing, it is when images or sounds touch our heart that they mean the most to us and when we recognise and acknowledge their beauty.

That’s why some of us relate so well to animals and to nature where others relate more to words, music or mathematics and computer script.

Whatever touches our heart, or our inner being, is what we will see as being the most beautiful thing in the world. It’s the reason why there is an old saying that tells us that beauty comes from within. It’s why no matter how we look or how we perceive ourselves, there will always be people who see us as being beautiful, people whose hearts we will touch in some way, who will relate to us beyond merely what they see in front of them.

Have you ever met someone that you felt an immediate connection to – someone you just knew you wanted to be friends with before you’d even spoken with them?

Have you ever felt your heart almost burst with happiness when you’ve looked into the eyes of an animal or spent time gazing at nature; listening to a piece of music; studying a maths problem or programming computer code?

I think these are the things that Helen Keller means and yet she was never able to see or hear those things. How amazing is that? And how doubly blessed are those of us who can see and hear?

As always you can find our chaplains on Mondays and Wednesdays in the outdoor areas near the duck pond and the woodshed weather permitting. In the meantime, on the rainy days, or if you don’t manage to catch up with a chaplain outside you can contact us via email on info@mitechaplaincy.com where you can request a call-back, or you are very welcome to call me directly on my mobile: 07526 378529 either to chat or to arrange a time to meet.

We also have a range of resources on our web-site including some that are more specific to the Covid-19 outbreak and some that generally help in dealing with stress: https://mite.org.uk

If you prefer you can easily keep in touch with us on social media: Facebook: @mitechaplaincy Twitter: @mitesthwarr