Dawn Phelps
Columnist
When Terri went to bed one night in 1992, she could see. When she awakened the next morning, she was blind, and her condition was untreatable. About two weeks later, her husband’s words helped get her “out of her slump,” and she learned to do many remarkable things without her sight, like bowling on a winning league and a high score of 179! After her husband died in 2011, she started her own bereavement group in her home since there was no group nearby! It had been 11 years since I last saw her when I visited her in 2025. Here are a few of the things she told me.
TERRI’S LIFE NOW. Terri and I talked about what is going on in her life now. She said she no longer leads a group, but she is engaged in life in other ways. Her oldest granddaughter is a cross-country runner in college and her youngest is in the fourth grade. Terri attends her 6 grandchildren’s local sports events—football, volleyball, and basketball. She said she cannot see the games, but she said, “But I sure can yell!”
She enjoys listening to sports on the radio—KCLY in Clay Center and KNDY in Marysville. She follows the games play by play on the radio. She said she is thankful for the radio stations and doesn’t know what she would do without them!
She cooks and cleans, even shampoos her own carpet! She said, “I might miss a spot,” but she likes to do it herself. She is involved in her church group called Hearts and Things which is a place to socialize. Some who attend quilt, some embroidery, and she knits. She said they sell their creations to make money for the hospital.
She belongs to an exercise group, and she is still “slim and trim” at 68 and has no grey hair. She said she was invited to her grandchild’s sixth grade class to talk about her experience with blindness and described it as “a rewarding experience.”
Since I met her the first time, someone thought a service dog might be helpful to her. She gave it a try but said it was not easy to care for a dog and take it outside on a leash if you are blind, so she reluctantly gave the dog back.
Terri also told me a funny story about something that happened a couple of years ago. Their family had decided to have soups for Christmas, and a grandchild requested that she make her chicken noodle soup.
So, she had made a big pot of soup, and when it was almost cooked, she thought she needed to add another bag of noodles, and she did. All went well. There were no complaints about the soup, but a granddaughter later asked her, “Grandma, when did you start adding hash browns to your chicken noodle soup recipe?”
When she told me the story, she began laughing, knowing she had meant to add noodles to her soup but had added hash browns instead. To me, it was phenomenal that she attempted making a big pot of soup and that she could find the ingredients at all! I admired her for being able to laugh at her mistake, and I laughed with her!
“DOWN DAYS.” She said she sometimes has a “down day” and that her biggest disappointment is still not being able to see her children and grandchildren. She also spoke about one of her small challenges and said that, every now and then, her ice maker “spits” out an ice cube. She said it is a big challenge for her to find the ice cube before it melts into a puddle. She said, “You ought to see me—on the floor, feeling for an ice cube. And sometimes I find it, pick it up, and drop it again!”
AN INSPIRATION. Terri is very loved by her family and many friends. When others witness how Terri has rebuilt her life after becoming blind, she has inspired others to “see” past their own hardships—I admire her grit and determination.
Ben Sweetland wrote, “We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.” Terri has already held her torch high, lighting the way for others. She helps us “see” the blessings in our own lives and reminds us to keep going.
CANDY CANES ALL IN A ROW. I will always remember Terri’s red and white candy canes standing straight and proud in a row alongside her sidewalk that day in December 2014. I remember how she responded when I asked her the question, “How did you get your candy canes so straight?”
She told me, “Oh, I put one foot in between the canes,” demonstrating how she used one foot then the other to measure the space between each cane. I was impressed by her ingenuity and balance! She could have stayed on the couch after she lost her eyesight. But she chose to get up off the couch and live life by putting one foot in front of the other, every day!
Terri has spent her life making the world more beautiful for others. She could not see those candy canes during that Christmas season herself, but she placed them there to brighten the world for others! Perhaps Terri is still teaching others to put one foot in front of the other during their tough times and keep on walking, especially during the Christmas holidays when stress, finances, and life is difficult for some.
Meadowlark Hospice gave Terri an Achievement Award plaque in November 2025 with a bowling ball and bowling pins on it. It said “the candy cane lady who amazed and inspired others to pursue life fiercely and for the best bowling record ever! Thanks for sharing your story.”
During the Christmas holidays, we remember the story of a baby born in Bethlehem long ago. We also give gifts, gather with families and friends, and recall past Christmas memories. Terri’s story also reminds us to be thankful for what we have, especially our gift of sight. Thank you, Terri, for your inspiring story!
