Things My Daughter Taught Me - Things My Daughter Taught Me
Things My Daughter Taught Me - Things My Daughter Taught Me
  • Home
  • About
  • Posts
  • Contact
Daily Life

Our Twelve Days of Christmas

December 18, 2017 by Paul Van Heest No Comments

On the first day of Christmas, my Peanut* gave to me

A life lesson in dignity.

* As I wrote about a few weeks ago, at home we call Gabriella the Peanutgirl, or our Peanut.

 

On the second day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Two decades (and three) of love

And a lesson in priorities.

 

On the third day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Three dogs at school

Two meows from Luna

And the aura of pet-therapy.

 

On the fourth day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Four wheelchairs

Three vans with ramps

Two bath-chairs

And a life lesson in adaptability.

 

On the fifth day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Five magical clicks;

Four gifts from strangers

Three spontaneous blessings

Two lucky breaks

And a whiff of divinity.

 

On the sixth day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Six moms event-planning

Five grateful clicks;

Four preschools seen

Three special needs trusts

Two years with Diverse Abilities

And a lesson in advocacy.

 

On the seventh day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Seven months a-blogging

Six stages of grief adding

Five expressive clicks;

Four communion dresses

Three sensory-friendly shows

Two thumbs-up

And a lesson in humility.

 

On the eighth day of Christmas, my Peanut got from me

Eight syringes a-plunging

Seven meds a-taking

Six times transferring

Five echoing clicks;

Four respiratory treatments

A three-part bedtime routine

Two rounds with the toothbrush

And a lesson in constancy.

 

On the ninth day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Nine teachers teaching

Eight aides Halloween-parading

Seven bus drivers loading

Six proms a-weeping

Five welcoming clicks;

Four devoted nurses

Three therapists a week

Two wheelchair techs

And a lesson in camaraderie.

 

On the tenth day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Ten beach wheelchairs rolling

Nine pools a-swimming

Eight zoo-birds a-cheeping

Seven hours driving

Six times Auto-training

Five adventurous clicks;

Forever in motion

Three trips to Disney World

Two nights on a cruise

And a lesson in accessibility.

 

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my Peanut gave to me

Eleven surgeries succeeding

Ten fingers crossing

Nine months’ dreams a-wilting

Eight IV bags dripping

Seven monitors beeping

Six peds nurses caring

Five resilient clicks;

Four respiratory infections

Three stays for seizures

Two lithotripsies

And a lesson in tenacity.

 

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Peanut shared with me

Television video watching

Leavened with loud laughing

Tender hugs embracing

Nonstop memories flooding

Ate so that I’m bursting

Servin’ creamy icing

Sicknesses avoiding

Favored loving clicks;

Forgetting all your worries

Tree awash in presents

Too few days together

And the essence of family.

 

 

Happy Holidays!

Share:
Reading time: 2 min

Popular Posts

What it’s Like to Be a Special Needs Brother

What it’s Like to Be a Special Needs Brother

April 9, 2018
No Doesn’t Always Mean No, with Insurance Companies

No Doesn’t Always Mean No, with Insurance Companies

February 19, 2018
Thank you for the Memories

Thank you for the Memories

December 3, 2018

News

ThingsMyDaughterTaughtMe reaches its first anniversary!!! Thank you for continuing to support our blog.
April 24, 2018

Please Sign Up For Email Updates

Categories

  • Daily Life
  • Guests
  • How
  • Lessons
  • Reviews
  • Stories
  • Uncategorized

Tags

9/11 Acceptance Advocacy Anxiety Birth Birthday Bonding Book Review Cancer Cataracts Celebrations Communication Community Dehydration Diagnosis Early Development Entertainment Equipment Expectations Faith Family Father's Day G-Tube Holidays Hospital How to Joy Leadership Lessons Learnings Medical History Mother's Day Optimism Patience Pets Routines School Scoliosis Seizures Special Education Surgery Time Transportation Vacations Weather Writing

Recent Tweets

  • RT @caslernoel: When folks talk about American spirit they would do well to look towards the mom in Uvalde, TX who left her job, drove 40 m…364 days ago
  • via @NYTOpinion ⁦@TheAmandaGorman⁩ “Thus while hate cannot be terminated, It can be transformed Into a love that… https://t.co/QTLIhBkdFqover a year ago
  • RT @EmpireStateBldg: Tonight, the Empire State Building will shine its tower lights in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. https://t.co/OPU1H…over a year ago
  • The first book I’ve finished in 2022, American Pop by @SnowdenWright, was terrific. Great fun with a witty style. https://t.co/D2Hvav3YIPover a year ago
  • Some great holiday cheer https://t.co/zrbxwcLxWFover a year ago

Search

Archives

Experiences and lessons from parenting a beautiful daughter
with multiple disabilities.

Recent Posts

Thank you for the Memories

Thank you for the Memories

When We Worry about What Other People Think

When We Worry about What Other People Think

November 13, 2018

Categories

  • Daily Life
  • Guests
  • How
  • Lessons
  • Reviews
  • Stories
  • Uncategorized
© 2023 Paul Van Heest // All rights reserved
Web Development by Alex Van Heest. Built from Amory theme.
Logo created with: http://logomakr.com