The Extraordinary Accomplishments of Helen Keller

Recently when this picture was found of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan it reminded me of my lifelong interest in this remarkable woman. The old black and white photo shows her with a beloved doll that helped break the language barrier between words and objects.

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker." Helen Keller

Even though Helen Keller was deaf and blind I saw that humble person and honest worker. When I was in elementary school I recall reading my first biography about her. As I lived the lives of Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, and Amelia Earhart through books, Helen Keller was the person that stayed with me.

I also remember watching "The Miracle Worker" and being in awe of the patience Annie Sullivan displayed toward Helen during the famous dining room scene. We didn't have many handicapped people in our town. Patty Duke so skillfully played young Helen Keller it almost scared me to see somebody with disabilities.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." Helen Keller

The famous scene when she spoke "wa wa" still brings tears to my eyes whether I am watching the original or the remake when Patty Duke played Annie Sullivan and Melissa Gilbert was Helen. As she continued to speak out for people with disabilities and be a strong voice for women she had to have felt her passions in her heart.

I never lost track of Helen Keller. I wrote a research paper on her life in high school. I have used her as an example numerous times while teaching as somebody that showed courage and perseverance. She learned Braille, graduated from college, and did speaking engagements around the world. When I saw that old picture flash on my news page online this week it was a perfect time to reflect on a life of an extraordinary woman.

"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. " Helen Keller