I woke up on my mother's sofa this morning. My deaf ear is reacting to the loudly clicking clock in her living room....every tick and tock. I have to be here to help Mom get through another day. My brother died from cardiac arrest this week. This is the second son she has lost. I normally avoid crowded rooms but of course, I will be there for the wake and funeral and reception on Saturday. I will be there for my brother, for my nephews and for my mother. I will struggle to hear people and the reactive noise in my deaf ear will be off the charts and nobody there will understand that.