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!
