40 people learn Sign Language in order to communicate with their neighbors' deaf daughter
If any of you love watching old movies and tv shows, you'll probably notice that neighbors use to be a lot more "neighborly" than what they are today. People would stop by, perhaps to ask to borrow some sugar or simply ask how your day was going. Then there were, of course, the annoying neighbors that just didn't know when to leave you alone or give you any privacy. But deep down you knew that those neighbors still cared for each other. Although interactions with the people next door don't happen as frequently these day, 40 people in a town in Massachusetts have proved that neighbors being neighborly still exist.
When these 40 people, living practically within blocks from each other, couldn't communicate with another neighbor's deaf daughter, they all learned Sign Language.
via Youtube / The Kelly Clarkson Show
Glenda and Raphael Savitz first moved to Newton, Msssachusetts, a few years ago to start a new chapter in their lives together. Those plans slightly changed, however, once Samantha, their adorable daughter, arrived. Born deaf, she was limited to the amount of people that she could actually talk to. Even though her mom and dad did everything they could to make her feel like she was "heard," they realized that communicating with just them was not enough for Samantha. It didn't take long for those living in their neighborhood to hear about Samantha's desire to communicate with more people. That's why they decided that they would make learning sign language a necessity for their community.
In this way, little Samantha would no longer have to feel frustrated about not being able to tell people how she was or what she was doing. She could tell them exactly how she felt, without the fear of not being understood.
40 people learned Sign Language so that they could communicate with Samantha
In the end, 40 people learned sign language so that they could speak with Samantha. They didn't just do it to be neighborly; they did it to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for a little girl who also wished to have a voice in the community. When one of the neighbors, Lucia Marshall, was asked how she felt about helping Samantha, she replied, "Samantha has given us a reason to grow closer together as a community, so I think she's the one who's helped us and not the other way around."
The world would be a much better place if more communities were be like this one!
