Post by thewisefarmer on Dec 5, 2017 19:09:35 GMT
PETER-JOHN'S LION
Peter-John came to me as a small 2 year old child. His size, skills and experience were much closer to a new born, just with his teeth already in.
This was a Christmas to say, "Thank You for my son."
That first Christmas with Peter-John, a friend gave him a stuffed toy of Simba from the Lion King. He named his toy Lion. I found out Lion, even with his big ears was deaf. I would talk to Peter-John's stuffed toy (yes I talk to toys). One day, I took Peter-John's Lion and was talking to him. Peter-John told me "No. Deaf. Sign" So our beloved deaf Lion has been an essential part of our everyday life since that first Christmas.
I had given Peter-John his doll. Doll was a soft bodied stuffed doll with plastic hands and a plastic head. The yarn hair on Doll, like Peter-John's hair, had gaps in it and the neurosurgeon thought Doll looked like he had undergone a few brain surgeries just like Peter-John. Doll had an apple toy around his neck. Peter-John was learning a new word "apple" which is why I bought it for him. I had not noticed the shape of the plastic hand, but Peter-John would hold Doll's hand and cooo. I realized Doll's hand was in the shape of the "I Love You" sign. Doll was perfect for the little deaf child.
Not long after (Easter time), Duck joined the trio. The three toys have remained beloved friends of Peter-John's even as he has grown into a young man.
Peter-John, being a little tike that was deaf and legally blind, was filled with sensory delight when we would go to the home and garden center. "Flowers" was the sign he had learned for the delightful smell. Christmas time, we went to the garden center to pick out a Christmas tree. Peter-John was overwhelmed with delight at the sent of evergreens and with a look of awe...He signed "FLOWERS!"
No "Tree" I told him, but for a few years he loved us putting up our Christmas FLOWER and decorating it.
When Peter-John was 5, we were at the hospital for another brain surgery. It was Dec 22nd. With Peter-John's life threatening needs, we had not put up a tree or the nativities. We stayed at the hospital. Duck, Lion, Doll and Mamom (his voiced name for me) stayed with him day and night.
We went home just before Christmas day. As we were leaving, in the hospital lobby, he saw the huge decorated tree and signed, "Tree" He had finally learned it was a tree, the year we didn't have one. None the less even without our Christmas Flower (tree), Peter-John came home in time for Christmas.
With the holidays easily becoming a tangle of decorating, buying and wrapping gifts, cooking and visiting and setting up the Christmas tree and nativities; it is easy to forget the real meaning of Christmas. Not having our Christmas tree or nativities set up couldn't stop Christmas from coming. Jesus gave us a blessed Christmas that year.
I sat holding Doll, Duck and Lion while watching Peter-John. I signed to Lion (Lion is deaf after all), "I Love You Lion, Merry Christmas"
Then I said a thank you to Jesus too. I had not set up my baby Jesus displays, but Jesus had come in His fullness that Christmas. This was definitely another Christmas to say, "Thank You for my son."
Peter-John came to me as a small 2 year old child. His size, skills and experience were much closer to a new born, just with his teeth already in.
This was a Christmas to say, "Thank You for my son."
That first Christmas with Peter-John, a friend gave him a stuffed toy of Simba from the Lion King. He named his toy Lion. I found out Lion, even with his big ears was deaf. I would talk to Peter-John's stuffed toy (yes I talk to toys). One day, I took Peter-John's Lion and was talking to him. Peter-John told me "No. Deaf. Sign" So our beloved deaf Lion has been an essential part of our everyday life since that first Christmas.
I had given Peter-John his doll. Doll was a soft bodied stuffed doll with plastic hands and a plastic head. The yarn hair on Doll, like Peter-John's hair, had gaps in it and the neurosurgeon thought Doll looked like he had undergone a few brain surgeries just like Peter-John. Doll had an apple toy around his neck. Peter-John was learning a new word "apple" which is why I bought it for him. I had not noticed the shape of the plastic hand, but Peter-John would hold Doll's hand and cooo. I realized Doll's hand was in the shape of the "I Love You" sign. Doll was perfect for the little deaf child.
Not long after (Easter time), Duck joined the trio. The three toys have remained beloved friends of Peter-John's even as he has grown into a young man.
Peter-John, being a little tike that was deaf and legally blind, was filled with sensory delight when we would go to the home and garden center. "Flowers" was the sign he had learned for the delightful smell. Christmas time, we went to the garden center to pick out a Christmas tree. Peter-John was overwhelmed with delight at the sent of evergreens and with a look of awe...He signed "FLOWERS!"
No "Tree" I told him, but for a few years he loved us putting up our Christmas FLOWER and decorating it.
When Peter-John was 5, we were at the hospital for another brain surgery. It was Dec 22nd. With Peter-John's life threatening needs, we had not put up a tree or the nativities. We stayed at the hospital. Duck, Lion, Doll and Mamom (his voiced name for me) stayed with him day and night.
We went home just before Christmas day. As we were leaving, in the hospital lobby, he saw the huge decorated tree and signed, "Tree" He had finally learned it was a tree, the year we didn't have one. None the less even without our Christmas Flower (tree), Peter-John came home in time for Christmas.
With the holidays easily becoming a tangle of decorating, buying and wrapping gifts, cooking and visiting and setting up the Christmas tree and nativities; it is easy to forget the real meaning of Christmas. Not having our Christmas tree or nativities set up couldn't stop Christmas from coming. Jesus gave us a blessed Christmas that year.
I sat holding Doll, Duck and Lion while watching Peter-John. I signed to Lion (Lion is deaf after all), "I Love You Lion, Merry Christmas"
Then I said a thank you to Jesus too. I had not set up my baby Jesus displays, but Jesus had come in His fullness that Christmas. This was definitely another Christmas to say, "Thank You for my son."