I had thought I would write this week about how hard it is to spend weeks where everyday is spent in a muddle of discomfort. I still find it easy to meet people, but it’s difficult to relate sometimes. Still, it’s hard to find any such negative emotions in light of the Christmas party we attended on Saturday. Maybe that’s the best Christmas present I get this year. I’d be hard pressed to think of a present my kids could give me worth more than that mornings memories and images.
Our kids all went to sit on Santa’s lap as he came to visit medically fragile kids who have been foster care through Mentor. Above are O and A with Santa. Below is K who was in complete sensory overload with all of the kids and sounds.
So many of our creations seem to reflect us. O and I made this ornament. He named it O and the story is he wants to be a real boy. Funny, sometimes I want to be a real boy too.
A had a ball pushing K around “seeing” other kids, some of whom she knew from their spending time with us. I suspect it’s one of the times they felt most “like” the rest of the crowd.
I loved seeing this little girl whom we’ve know for years getting her face painted. She was so proud of her Santa face paint “costume.” For a little girl thought to be on death’s door multiple times, seeing her happy, proud and having fun was priceless.
Even with my A and K staying out of the picture dealing with sensory overload reactions, I think this is my favorite picture from the event. It’s a picture where everyone in it has an amazing story. It’s a picture of Santa surrounded by miracles as everyone with Santa has come through medically fragile foster care. It’s a visual of Christmas spirit as I imagine it.
