On a recent weekend, I talked with a mother and her daughter.

Seventeen years ago, this mother brought her daughter to Perkins School for the Blind for a family conference. It would be her mom’s first opportunity to meet other parents of children who are blind.

She pulled into the parking lot. She froze. She sat in her car and cried. It was the first time she actually admitted to herself that her daughter was blind.

Fast-forward 17 years to when her daughter attended a college prep weekend at Perkins where she learned how to navigate a college cafeteria, where to get accessible books and more. She met college students who are blind and talked with them about what to expect next fall. This accomplished young woman has been accepted to three New England colleges. She’ll start college in September, with a world of possibility in her future.

The media are saturated with stories of faltering banks, halting housing markets and business failures. We hear our economic troubles are causing emotional depression and despair so profound that some individuals are powerless to function in their jobs.

When I saw this mother and her daughter and heard their remarkable story, I was struck by the students and parents I regularly meet at Perkins. They have something to teach us all about getting through difficult times and daunting challenges. With confidence in their abilities, creative thinking, amazing support, they see past adversity and work around obstacles to find positive ways forward.

A few days later, I attended a senior class music recital on campus. Each senior who has worked with our remarkable music teachers performs a final recital before classmates, friends and family.

Two students shared the stage. The first was a young woman who, when she first came to Perkins four years ago, would walk haltingly in the halls, not say hello and was non-communicative. As the recital started this young woman came on stage, played the piano and sang a marvelous selection of songs. The crowd was wowed.

With the audience still in awe, the second performer took the stage. This student has a great sense of humor, knows pop culture and is visually impaired. While playing the guitar, he started to slump over. He was having a seizure on stage. The calm and experienced staff held his head, supported his body, and caught the guitar before it hit the ground. They calmly talked with him. Minutes later the seizure had passed, he got his bearings, apologized for the delay and continued with the concert.

These stories show us a path through times when our fortunes have declined and economic uncertainty looms. They tell us to look at the gifts we all have been given. To support one another. To focus on our abilities. To work hard. To find grace within ourselves.

We would all do well to envision the future as these individuals, their families and their teachers do each day.