| | The Greatest Gift
My husband has quite an extended family. 9 or 10 aunts and uncles and all kinds of cousins running around. Many of the cousins have children and it would be almost impossible for me to try and count them all. I have no aunts and uncles, thus no cousins. Both my mother and my father were only children. So, visiting his family on the holidays is always enjoyable for me, if somewhat overwhelming. But this year, a member of his family gave me a priceless gift.
My husband's aunt and uncle are wonderful people. They live in Georgia where his uncle is a preacher and I have met them four or five times. His Aunt Margaret is such a loving person, you can just see the goodness ooze out of her. She is someone that just makes you smile. Uncle Gary is a very nice man. You meet these people and it makes your heart feel good.  Aunt Margaret and Uncle Gary have an 11 year old daughter named Anna. Anna has Down's Syndrome. She can walk but not talk. She does know some sign language. She can say 'I love you" and does that regularly. I only see Anna once or twice a year and I always feel drawn to her. I don't know why, I just am. Last year we spent the afternoon showing her the horses and letting her pet Peaches, the baby. This year...
Last night when we pulled into the grandparents driveway, I was very happy to see the vehicle with Georgia plates there. It meant my favorite people were inside. When we went into the living room and Anna saw me, she ran over and kept hugging me and giving me the signs for "I love you". After only seeing me a few times, she remembered me!! For more than an hour she hugged me and patted the couch for me to sit next to her. We signed the 'I love you's' back and forth. And I cried. It touched me so much that she remembered me. I stood in the kitchen like while 15 people wondered what was wrong with me and I just couldn't explain it. She knew who I was. She even brought her mother her socks to put on, meaning she wanted to go outside. And she kept making cow noises, which for her meant the horses.
What a gift. Thank you, Anna. |
| | Posted 12/26/2002 10:52 PM - 18 views - 12 comments
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