When I was in grade school, my older brother told me a secret.
“Mom hides the Christmas gifts in a garbage sack in the closet,” he confessed.
I marveled that he knew the location of our unknown and highly anticipated gifts. I cannot remember if he succumbed to the temptation to look inside, but I recall what I did.
When both of our parents were out of the house, I ran to the closet, found the bag, and took a brief peek inside. It took me a few seconds to spot some things that were clearly mine. I covered my tracks and retreated to my bedroom. Back then, I was excited over what I saw, but now the specific items escape my memory. At some point, I realized part of the fun of opening gifts was the mystery of what was in it. I had ruined it. Fortunately, I did not see everything, so I still had some things to look forward to opening.
I do not have to worry about my daughter pulling some of those shenanigans that I once pulled at Christmas. My 15-year-old daughter with Down syndrome and an Intellectual Disability knows gifts go with Christmas, but she has never tried to seek out presents before the big day.
Photo credit: Sparefoot.com “Hiding Gifts”
My daughter understands that our decorated tree means Christmas is close, but dates do not mean that much to her. Christmas is similar to her birthday. She has a general sense of when it is, but she is usually surprised on the actual date. The smile she has when gifts are presented to her is bright and sincere. She loves everything she gets and tells others, “Thank you,” with some gentle prompting. She may not end up using everything she receives, but she genuinely appreciates them all at the time.
When it comes to giving gifts, she does not yet have the ability to think of giving to others. I take her shopping to allow her the chance to pick out a present for her brother and dad. She needs some guidance picking things out. Last year, she chose a toy figure from the Mandalorian series for her dad. Perhaps she remembered watching it with him. She enjoys shopping, choosing items, wrapping them with assistance, and placing them under the tree. I enjoy teaching her about the joy of giving gifts.
Over the years, she has developed some understanding of baby Jesus and the Christmas story. Our church’s special needs ministry, along with nativity scenes at home, have helped her retain the real meaning of Christmas. Whenever she spots a nativity scene, she will talk about “Jesus” and “Christmas.” Sure, she knows Santa as well. To her, he’s an adorable character that she likes to be photographed with each year.
Our family plans several activities in December to celebrate the season. We drive through fantastic light displays. The kids enjoy making sugar cookies and spreading sprinkles all over the kitchen, much to my dismay. We love decorating the tree together and deciding where all the ornaments should go. Let’s not forget the Christmas songs that we like to sing as loud as we can.
I look forward to this time of year when my daughter shows such excitement and joy over all the Christmas festivities. She may not be trading Christmas gift intel with her brother, but she enjoys the holiday in her own way. It is a pleasure to experience this time of year with her and her brother.
Evana is a wife and mother of two children. She enjoys serving in her church’s special-needs ministry. Evana is also a pediatric speech-language pathologist and serves children with autism, feeding disorders, and other developmental delays. You can connect with Evana on Twitter, Facebook, and her blog, A Special Purposed Life. You can also read more about her family’s story in her book, Badges of Motherhood: One Mother’s Story about Family, Down syndrome, Hospitals, and Faith.
