A Bookish Father’s Day Post

In the spirit of the Cape Town Book Fair and Father’s Day, I would like to share with you one of my favourite stalls from the fair:

The South African National Library for the Blind had a stall at the CTBF. I was flabbergasted, but in a good way. Of course they should be there!

Dad (read about him and his visual impairment here) loves books and stories, but audiobooks are really expensive. I was so happy to hear that the SALB is free and provides audiobooks.

Whenever Dad talks about the day he received his first assisted reading device (which had to be imported at that time), he tells how he stayed up all night, reading every bit of print he could get his hands on. Business cards, pill boxes, you name it, he read it – after not having been able to read for many, many years.

Dad taught me about not allowing disabilities to disable you. He taught me about human worth.

When I was little, he would sit with me at his reading machine, place my Children’s Bible under the lens, and read to me.

And when I wanted a bedtime story, he made one up: just for me.

I am so grateful for a father who did not abandon me when I was a moody and rebellious teenager. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn from such a strong and compassionate man. And I am getting him signed up for SALB, and it will be awesome.