CHRISTMAS PAST

Christmas Eve
Eating ravioli with my family. My mom makes Pasta House Salad and garlic bread to go with it.
She is sure she has forgotten something. 

She hasn't.
If I were home. 

Waiting For Santa
Our house is one of Santa's first stops. He finds our home quickly. My brother has done a fantastic job decorating it. Ours is the best-decorated house on the block.
If I were home.

Presents that were painstakingly wrapped are unwrapped in two minutes. Wrapping paper is flying. My favorite gift?  A bottle of Electric Reindeer. It is not really about the wine. The wine is the color of Rudolph's nose. Santa's #1 reindeer is on the bottle. My brother gave it to me.
Santa remembers the dogs, Lucie and Abby.

He has left gourmet doggie bones for them. 

Everyone's happy.
If I were home.

Mom burns the Christmas cookies. 

Doesn't matter. 

We eat them anyway.

A little charcoal adds to the flavor.
If I were home.

 Christmas Morning.
Mom is making waffles from scratch. Her waffle iron looks ancient. It still works. 

That's all that matters. 

Mom adds pieces of bacon to the batter.

She'd put butter on my waffles. 

No syrup.
Delicious.
If I were home.

Sometimes we'd make it to Christmas Day service. 

Sometimes not. 

I hope Jesus understands.
If I  were home.

Christmas Afternoon
My brother picks us up,

Mom, Lucie, and me.
More family time. 

Good food.  

A Christmas. story on TV.

If I were home.

Christmas Night

Christmas lights twinkle on our way home.
Christmas is over. 

Til next year.
Then we'd do it all again. 

If I were home.

Merry Christmas

WE ARE TEACHERS...WE ARE STUDENTS

Everyone has a story to tell.
You just have to be willing to listen
We are teachers.

I have never driven anyone else's power chair but my own.
I don't know the struggles another person may have gone through in life.
We are students.
We never stop learning.

Diversity makes the world go round.
The world would be a boring place without it.

Different thoughts.
Different ways of life.
We teach.
We learn. 

We grow. The cycle of life.

.

Animals teach us the most important lesson.
Love. 
They give love unconditionally. No strings attached. They are forgiving. No matter how many times we screw up. 
They always give us another chance.

People with disabilities have amazing stories.
.Listen

Overcoming adversity.
Compassion.
Patience

Understanding.

Nursing home residents can tell you what life was like when they were young. People need to take the time to listen.
 We should.
Our older generation has lived through historic events that the rest of us have only read about in books. They are the real deal.

I have a challenge for you this holiday season.

When the wrapping paper is done flying.
When you've eaten more than you ever thought possible.
Talk with someone you have never talked to before, 
A  person with different interests, and abilities from your own. It is fun learning about new people and places.  

One of the staff members here told me about her early life growing up in rural Alabama. I have always lived in St. Louis. I enjoyed hearing about her experiences growing up in a southern rural area

We are teachers. 

We are students.
What's your story?

Happy Holidays!









..

RANDOM

Thoughts swirl around in my head.
Disconnected
Random

Worry about...
What I said.
What I didn't say.
Documented?
The way to survive?
Zip my lips.
Let people say what they choose.
Random

Do people like me?
If not...
Why?
Have to know.
To make things right.
It should not matter,
But it does.
.Random.

Am I heavy?
Diet.
No junk food will pass my lips.
OMG!!!
I just ate some chips.
Random/

Scared at night.
Only one person here.
My room is in the back.
Will they answer my call?
If there's an emergency.
Will anyone come at all?
Random.

Tordano sirens signaled an alert.
"It's just a warning that's all."
I was the only one in the hall.
Random.

I miss the CNA's
Who understood
Life wasn't perfect.
But...
In the end, it was all good.
Random.

Do I have enough money?
Will I have enough food?
Time for Food Stamps.
This is not good.
Random.

Each night when those my daily thoughts finally cease.
Thoughts of palm trees. blue skies and crystal blue water.
Help me drift off to sleep.
Random.




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