Patrick Henry Hughes was born without eyes and with a disabling birth defect. As this year’s Disney Spirit Award winner, Hughes attends the University of Louisville and plays the trumpet in their marching band. He’s the only two person band member with his dad pushing him in his wheelchair. What he said during a recent Oprah interview is worth repeating.
“God made me blind and unable to walk–big deal! He gave me the ability to play the trumpet and piano.”
And for his life motto, he encourages people to look on the inside. Adding that, “I see my blindness as not a disability at all, more an ability. And the sight more as a disability because sighted people, they can see a person’s hair length or the clothes they wear or the skin color. And with me, certain words like black or white are adjectives that have no meaning whatever. I just see the love within a person.”
Now there’s a challenge for the human race!
Thank you God for giving us people like Patrick to remind us what matters most.
Tiffany,
Thank you for the reminder that we are all children of God regardless of our physical differences. I once expressed to a man of a different ethnicity than myself that I was “color blind”. That I saw him as a brother in Christ only. He became angry with me and told me I was denying his “culture”. I never have fully understood his response.
Hey Tiff!
I too saw this wonderful young man. He touched me deeply. I just pray that more people could use his philosophy of seeing the love of a person and not the skin color, hair colr, eye color, etc. We need the mainstream media to pick up more stories like this one so that many can see the humanity that we do have in our world.
Keep up the good work. You are a gifted writer!!
Hi,
If a man can give thanks for not having eyes, my complaints are pretty trivial.
Thanks for the reminder.