Vistas conquer all fears In July 1998, our family of five children, two of whom are now full-time North Carolina residents, and six grandchildren were vacationing near Cape Hatteras. All of us dearly wished to visit this famous lighthouse. However, there were several limiting considerations: our oldest son, Sean, is both blind and a double amputee. He was still adjusting to two new prostheses. All were concerned about him being physically able to make the climb. He so badly wanted to. Determined, Sean set his heart. Tony, our youngest son, a graduate of Duke, Yale and UNC, loves lighthouses, but has had a lifelong, gut-gripping fear of high places. Frozen at the thought, he was loathe to accompany us. Approaching the lighthouse door, palms sweating and seeing his eldest brother begin the ascent, Tony shouted, “If he can do it, I can!” Together, words of encouragement echoing off the solid stone cylinder, we spiraled to the top. Greeted with a spectacularly clear, unending view of ocean, sky and island, Sean had mastered the climb and Tony had delightedly overcome his acrophobia. Broad smiles attested to the joy all experienced with these unmatchable vistas. Judy Armento, Cape Carteret, Carteret-Craven Electric |
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