The Languaging in Deaf Eyes

Languaging is a living form of expression, more than communication, it is the act of being fully present, connecting, responding, and expressing through all our senses. For example, when a little girl runs up to a new friend with arms wide open, she’s languaging joy and openness — without even saying a word.

In much the same way, the sunflower has always been more than just a flower to me. It rises with the light, blooms with intention, and gently folds at night, only to begin again. It rises with the light, blooms with intention, and gently folds at night, only to begin again. I see myself in that rhythm. Just like the sunflower, I am always responding to the world around me, always languaging.

Languaging is how I live. It is not only communication, but also expression, movement, presence, and connection. I am always languaging with the people around me, both day and night. Whether it is through sign language, gestures, facial expressions, or simply being present, I am engaging with my environment, just as the sunflower responds to the sun, the breeze, and the sky.

To language, especially through Deaf eyes, is to be in constant dialogue with life, through joy and through struggle. It is how I stay rooted in who I am, how I continue to bloom no matter the season. My connection with others is not limited to words, but exists in the energy exchanged through every glance, sign, and shared moment. This is how I move through the world, rising, blooming, resting, and rising again. Every day. In and out of environments, in sunshine and in storms, I am always languaging. It is not something I do. It is who I am.

The seeds I carry, my personality, my spirit, my voice, have been planted and shaped through languaging. Every interaction, every exchange, every moment of connection is a seed that blooms into who I am and how I approach the world. It happens day and night, in all seasons of life, just like the sunflower that rises to meet the sun and quietly responds to the moon. This is my lifelong rhythm, rooted in expression, always growing.

But what does languaging really mean, especially in the context of Deaf culture and community?

Languaging, in the Deaf world, is not just about using sign language. It is the full embodiment of communication, through hands, eyes, facial expressions, space, and energy. It is how we connect. How we navigate relationships. How we show emotion, culture, and personality. It is how we claim our presence in a world that often overlooks us.

Many people assume Deaf People are quiet or shy, that because we do not use our voices, we are silent. But that could not be further from the truth. In fact, if you pay attention, you will realize that our languaging speaks volumes. It tells stories, conveys depth, and expresses layers of identity that words alone could never hold.

Through languaging, Deaf people radiate who they are, proudly, powerfully, and without needing to say a single word out loud. It is not silence. It is soul in motion.

As Dr. Jon Henner once said, “How you language is beautiful. Don’t let anyone tell you your languaging is wrong. Your languaging is the story of your life.” That quote lives in me. It affirms that every expression, every movement, every sign I offer to the world is part of my truth, and it is enough.

Deaf Insight

The Deaf experience is far from a quiet one. It is rich with movement, meaning, and the kind of connection that transcends sound. Languaging is not simply a tool for communication, it is the heartbeat of our culture. It is how we love, lead, learn, and live. It is how we bloom.

So, the next time you meet a Deaf person, do not mistake our silence for absence. Look closer. See the light in our eyes, the stories in our hands, the presence in our being. We are always languaging. And in that, we are always alive.