What Are You Waiting For?

Yesterday was my Kyra’s birthday.  Today is the 1^st day of the Advent season.  I love that Kyra’s birthday coincides with the advent of Advent, the season of anticipation and hope.  God’s eloquence in action.

Today, Kyra and I placed the first ornament on our Advent calendar: a cloud slicing the moon in two.  What better way to start out the season of hope? Without a dark cloud looming, threatening our only light, what do you need hope for?

Our family fervently hopes that our dark cloud will dissipate with the miraculous healing of Kyra’s disabilities, and life will become as we expected it to be when Kyra was born, at 12:32pm, November 30, 1995.

But a small part of me wonders, do we really want that life?

Daily, I pray for, beg for, and anxiously await a quick and miraculous healing of Kyra’s disabilities.  Yet, while I anticipate that healing, I’m dubious of its value.  Just as she is, Kyra is a powerful force, welcoming everyone with a love and acceptance I am ashamed to admit that I do not exhibit myself.

Yesterday, I witnessed Kyra’s power in action as people honored her 17^th birthday with gifts, phone calls, text messages, cross-country flower deliveries, and donations to Special Olympics Iowa.  At her bowling party at Perfect Games in Ames, Iowa, families, single mothers, empty-nesters, college students, disabled teens, middle-school students, and senior citizens cheered each other on, offered condolences for gutter balls, and generally celebrated life.  Together.

I know that Christmas shopping for someone with severe disabilities is difficult, so I'm offering few humble suggestions.  If in doubt, please ask parents/guardians for direction.

• Nuts about Nuts: My Kyra LOVES peanuts, walnuts, almonds, any kind of nut (yes, I know peanuts are legumes… but humor me here…).  If your disabled loved one loves nuts, wrap up a jar of peanut butter (or almond butter… walnut butter… etc.), along with a note that you have sent a  donation to Project Peanut Butter, an organization working toward ending starvation and nutritional disease in mothers and children in Africa.
• Sports Nuts: Does your family thrive on friendly competition? Special Olympics is a great social and competitive outlet.  My Kyra participates in a fall Bowling league, and spring Track & Field events.  Consider giving your disabled loved one tickets to a local sporting event (along with a ticket for a parent or caregiver), with a donation to the Special Olympics organization of your state.  (Kyra's "pennies for pins" birthday bowling bash raised over $140 for Special Olympics Iowa!)
• More nutty ideas:  Special-needs equipment is obscenely expensive, and funding for essential items is often not covered by medical insurance, and out of reach for most families.  Find out what the family needs, and get creative with the delivery!  A few dollars toward a surveillance device for families dealing with severe autism, or an iPad for a non-verbal family member, or accessible home renovations for families with mobility issues, is greatly appreciated, but not much fun to give or receive.  So, get creative!   If the family needs a new bathroom, write a check to the parents, and wrap it up in some pretty holiday towels.  If a surveillance system is necessary, slip a check to the parents in the pages of a photo book you’ve created with Snapfish.com.  Is an iPad the ticket?  Give iTunes gift card along with a cheesy musical ornament.
  
  Whatever you choose, be aware of where your dollars go:   Write checks to parents, guardians, or a special needs trust, if there is one, to avoid jeopardizing government eligibility of financial and medical aid.  If in doubt, ask!

Do not fear; though light may grow dim through anxious, sleep-deprived eyes, it can never be extinguished.

Peace be with you.