The Better to See You ...

The numbers on my alarm clock are about 3 inches tall. It wasn't that long ago my vision was so bad, I needed the numbers that big so I could see them in the middle of the night without putting my glasses on. As someone who'd worn glasses (or contacts) since age 5, that was the norm for me.

Five-some years ago, before I had lasik surgery, I literally had to stand next to the wall to see the big E on the eye chart clearly. I remember to my astonishment the morning after my lasik surgery, I awoke to see not only those alarm clock numbers clearly, but the pattern on the wallpaper on the far wall. I was simply amazed. Wow. I can't believe what I was missing.

Carter had much the same reaction yesterday when we picked up his glasses. As soon as he put them on, he was saying, "Whoa! Wow! Everything is so crisp and clear!" As we drove through town, he kept lifting the glasses up to see a "before" and "after" view and he'd be saying things like, "So this is what the world looks like!" And I'm thinking, how bad did we let his eyes get before he got glasses?

I was pleased to hear him say, "This is one of the most amazing things that's happened to me!" Later, when it took the neighbor girl only 2 seconds to call him a "dork," I was worried his enthusiasm would change. But as he watched TV (which looks like hi-def to him now), he said, "Mom, I don't care what people say because these are amazing to me! I bet 10 years from now I'll still be saying 'wow!'"

Well I doubt that, but we'll take it for now and hope he takes better care of his glasses than his cat. Of course, since the cleaning doesn't involve a litter box, I think he'll OK.