Had the Special Needs Christmas Party yesterday. I know I've talked about this before - but I just totally LOVE this party. The Knights of Columbus put it on - we have lunch, EACH kid gets a gift (up to $40!!) and there's cake and ice-cream, choir caroling, and of course SANTA! Don't get me wrong the food is OUTSTANDING, and the gifts are VERY nice - but the things I like the best are that we get to see all the kids that Sal has been participating with and we get to see that our cross to bear could be a LOT worse. There's kids there in wheel chairs - kids that eat through a tube - kids that can't talk - you name it. The very BEST part is ALL of those "kids" (some are in their 20s and 30s) rush outside to see Santa arrive on the fire truck! The smiles and squeals and cheers are deafening!!! It's just sheer, unbridled joy. They don't care about what the look like, they don't care that society thinks they're too old to like Santa, they don't care that it's not "cool" to show joy. God, I LOVE that!!!
We have the best time mingling around and talking to everyone about how they're doing. Everyone knows Sal and we of course know most of the kids - and their parents are always ____'s Mom or ____'s Dad.
:-) WE don't count - not in this world - it's the kids that count.
Sally got 3 gifts!!!! Moon Sand, Moon Dough and Legos! She was SO pleased. She decided that Jack should get the Legos. She gave them to him. Jack didn't come with us this year. He chose to go to the neighbors. I didn't fight him. The party is ALL about Sal and he's done well with that for many years. But, when Sal decided to give him the box of Legos she said "I'm a nice sister, aren't I Mom?" :-) Classic Sally.
So here's where I get on my soapbox. We sat with 2 women who are notoriously bitchy about EVERYTHING. We sat down at a table that wasn't full and sure enough these two sought us out. Ugghh. I've had run ins with them before and it just amazes me every time how UN grateful they are about EVERYTHING! The soup didn't have enough chicken, where was Santa, didn't their kid want the hard-cover book instead of the paperback that he got, and of course the minute they get their gift - they're out of there. Now THAT'S teaching the kids some GOOD stuff!!! I just want to shake them! At one point they even started talking by name about a friend of mine. I had to leave the table. I'm NOT good at listening to bad things about friends of mine. I tend to jump in and get a little obnoxious. Since I'm not too good at controlling that - yet - I get out of the situation.
It's almost like the *parents* are the ones with the special needs and they instill that into the child. It's like this label is their invitation to be jack-wagons. We *loudly* talked to Sal in front of these "ladies" about how the guys in blue (the Knights) were the ones that did all of this - that they raised the money it took (by selling those tootsie-rolls) and made the dinner, did the shopping, set up the gym and then took it all down again. I know it went over their heads, but you keep trying.
Sally told Santa thank-you and clutched her goodies with a death-grip all the way home. We all decided that we had had a good time. Daddy and I in tears - as usual. You just can't be around these kids for too long without being touched to the very core of your heart. There's so much joy, so much hope in that room. Even in spite of the "jack-wagons" in the place - the raw joy and love just conquers it all!
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