We have all had those frustrating mornings. You wake up late, spill your coffee, or maybe most annoyingly burn your toast. Small, annoying setbacks that throw off your rhythm. But what if those little delays were actually working in your favor?
That is the essence of the Burnt Toast Theory—the idea that minor inconveniences might actually be protecting you from something worse, or nudging you toward something better.
When Life Burns Your Toast
I never imagined how deeply this would resonate with my own life. When my son was diagnosed with Macular Dystrophy—an incurable genetic eye disease that affects 1 in a million children—the doctor’s words hit me like a physical blow. He would slowly lose his vision, and one day he could be blind.
You can imagine my shock and the pain that consumed me hearing this news. I asked the questions every parent asks: Why him? How could this be? What did I do wrong?
Those first weeks were the darkest of my life. I felt like everything had burned to ash. It felt like the ultimate burnt toast moment, except this wasn’t a minor inconvenience. This was my child’s sight.
But with time, I came to a realization that changed everything. There was no need for me to cry over what I could not change. I decided to put my energy into reading more about his condition and eye problems in general. What I discovered broke my heart all over again—but this time, it also sparked something powerful.
I learned about the massive need for eye vision screening, especially in underserved communities. Eye care is considered a luxury, and so many people go through life with limited vision simply because they cannot access or afford help. Children fail in school not because they lack intelligence, but because they cannot see the board. Elderly people become isolated because their vision is fading.
A couple of years later, while doing my spring cleaning, I made a discovery that would change my life’s direction forever. We had over 15 pairs of almost new glasses at home—reading glasses, old prescriptions, sunglasses we’d barely worn. They were just sitting there, collecting dust.
As I held those glasses in my hands, something clicked. Here I was, learning about millions of people who needed vision correction, and I had a drawer full of glasses doing nothing. This made me think: how could I use these glasses to help others?
And this is how PAMOZI was born. I was nudged in the right direction.
My son’s diagnosis, that devastating piece of news, opened my eyes to a world of need I never bothered about before, it actually guided me towards my purpose. The burnt toast moment that shattered my world had also illuminated a path I never would have found otherwise.
I believe that nothing is wasted—not time, not glasses, not even burnt toast. My son’s condition hasn’t disappeared. He still faces challenges that break my heart. But through Pamozi, his struggle has become a beacon of hope for countless others.
So the next time you are slowed down by life, when your toast burns, when you get that terrible news, when your plans fall through, when everything seems to go wrong, remember: it might just be leading you somewhere you are truly needed. We just need the vision and the perspective to see them.
Thank you for reading.
Written by – Elitah
2 Comments
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Vus'
its a bitter sweet story but amazing how out of your own burnt toast this that will benefit a lot more people was born. . .
Oliver
Vielen Dank für das Teilen deiner Erfahrungen.
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