Special needs poems?

[Brandi73]

There used to be a section of these and now they are not here....anybody know what happened to them?
I loved reading them and some were very helpful in certain situations....
TIA,
Brandi

[Jessicapack]

Not sure... But, Andrews teacher wrote a really beautiful one in his yearbook last year! If I can type it out w/o crying my eyes out I will post it later!!

Maybe someone can make a sticky for them!

[mom2twins]

I've never seen them, but that sounds like a great idea!

[momofseven]

My favorite:



The Brave Little Soul
By: John Alessi

Not too long ago in Heaven there was a little soul who took wonder in observing the world. She especially enjoyed the love she saw there and often expressed this joy with God. One day however the little soul was sad, for on this day she saw suffering in the world. She approached God and sadly asked, “Why do bad things happen; why is there suffering in the world?” God paused for a moment and replied, "Little soul, do not be sad, for the suffering you see, unlocks the love in people’s hearts.” The little soul was confused. “What do you mean,” she asked.” God replied, “Have you not noticed the goodness and love that is the offspring of that suffering? Look at how people come together, drop their differences and show their love and compassion for those who suffer. All their other motivations disappear and they become motivated by love alone.” The little soul began to understand and listened attentively as God continued, “The suffering soul unlocks the love in people’s hearts much like the sun and the rain unlock the flower within the seed. I created everyone with endless love in their heart, but unfortunately most people keep it locked up and hardly share it with anyone. They are afraid to let their love shine freely, because they are afraid of being hurt. But a suffering soul unlocks that love. I tell you this - it is the greatest miracle of all. Many souls have bravely chosen to go into the world and suffer - to unlock this love – to create this miracle - for the good of all humanity."

Just then the little soul got a wonderful idea and could hardly contain herself. With her wings fluttering, bouncing up and down, the little soul excitedly replied, "I am brave; let me go! I would like to go into the world and suffer so that I can unlock the goodness and love in people’s hearts! I want to create that miracle!" God smiled and said, "You are a brave soul I know, and thus I will grant your request. But even though you are very brave you will not be able to do this alone. I have known since the beginning of time that you would ask for this and so I have carefully selected many souls to care for you on your journey. Those souls will help you create your miracle; however they will also share in your suffering. Two of these souls are most special and will care for you, help you and suffer along with you, far beyond the others. They have already chosen a name for you. God and the brave little soul shared a smile, and then embraced.

In parting, God said, “Do not forget little soul that I will be with you always. Although you have agreed to bear the pain, you will do so through my strength. And if the time should come when you feel that you have suffered enough, just say the word, think the thought, and you will be healed.” Thus at that moment the brave little soul was born into the world, and through her suffering and God’s strength, she unlocked the goodness and love in people’s hearts. For so many people dropped their differences and came together to show their love. Priorities became properly aligned. People gave from their hearts. Those that were always too busy found time. Many began new spiritual journeys – some regained lost faith – many came back to God. Parents hugged their children tighter. Friends and family grew closer. Old friends got together and new friendships were made. Distant family reunited, and every family spent more time together. Everyone prayed. Peace and love reigned. Lives changed forever. It was good. The world was a better place. The miracle had happened. God was pleased.

[Jessicapack]

:)

[Jessicapack]

Here it is:

A meeting was held quite far from Earth:
"It's time again for another birth."
Said the Angels to the Lord Above,
"This special child will need much love."
Her progress may seem very slow,
Accomplishments she may not show
And she'll require extra care
From folks she meets way down there.

She may not run or laugh or play
Her thoughts may seem quite far away:
In many ways she isn't adapt
And she'll be known as handicapped.

So let's be careful where she's sent
We want her life to be content.
Please, Lord, find the parents who
Will do a special job for you.

They will not realize right away
The leading role they're asked to play
But with this child sent from above
Comes a stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given
In caring for the Gift from Heaven.
Their precious charge,
so meek and mild
Is Heaven's Very Special Child.
************************************************** ************************************************** *** Edna Massimilla

[Sarahndipity]

I LOOOVE this last poem on here. It was posted on my fridge for a couple of years. I got it out of the newspaper from the "Dear Abby" section. Only, in the clipping I had, it has a different sentence. The part where it says "In many ways she isn't adapt, and she'll be known as handicapped." Actually said " In many ways she will be labeled, helpless, slow, or disabled" GREAT poem!!

[hdirks]

I know! I used to look at them all the time!!!! This was my favorite:

"You weren't like other children,
And God was well aware,
You'd need a caring family,
With love enough to share.
And so He sent you to us,
...And much to our surprise,
You haven't been a challenge,
But a blessing in disguise.
Your winning smiles and laughter,
The pleasures you impart,
Far outweigh your special needs,
And melt the coldest heart.
We're proud that we've been chosen,
To help you learn and grow,
The job that you have brought us,
Is more than you can know.
A precious gift from Heaven,
A treasure from above,
A child who's taught us many things,
But most of all- Real Love"

[hdirks]

Ok so now I'm searching for them again Hidden Content

God Chooses a Mom of a Special Needs Child
by Erma Bombeck
Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures, and a couple by habit. This year, nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of special needs children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of special needs children are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth; son; patron saint, Matthew.
"Forrest, Marjorie; daughter; patron saint, Cecelia.
"Rudledge, Carrie; twins; patron saint.... give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a special needs child."
The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy.""Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a special needs child a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But has she patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence. She'll have to teach the child to live in her world and that's not going to be easy."
"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."
The angel gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, there is a woman I will bless with a child less then perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word.' She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see --- ignorance, cruelty, prejudice --- and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in midair.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

[hdirks]

Welcome to Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

[hdirks]

The Preemie Experience
by Sandra D. Moore
The preemie experience is the shattering of all your dreams for a normal healthy deliveryOf the ability to carry home a beautiful squirming bundle after a short stay in the hospital
It is lying there on your room listening to the happy sounds of whole families joined together by the birth of a grandchild, cousin, niece, or nephew, and knowing that your child is miles away and may not survive long enough for you to see or simply touch.
It is that first glimpse of a skinny, scrawny, not much bigger than a Barbie doll child and feeling fear, awe and joy for such a fragile soul.
It is sitting by your baby’s “bedside” day after day, week after week, month after month, alternating between the emotional high of “look, his eyes are open” or “he’s crying!” and the lows of “I’m sorry, Mrs. _________. Something has shown up in his ultrasound” or even “There is nothing we can do…”
It is hearing the alarms go off for the twentieth time in less than fifteen minutes because your child’s heart rate keeps hitting zero.
It is watching children dying around you, wondering if your child will be next.
It is hearing your child’s cry of distress as the nurses insert yet another IV or do another round of daily blood tests.
It is meeting other parents of children who are doing far better and wondering “why me?” and meeting parents of children who have just died and praising God for His mercy to your child and feeling guilty because your child is alive and someone else is grieving for theirs.
It is days of nightmares testing and coping with less than positive results to the tests.
It is days of joy at seeing the first eyelash appear, the child gain a whole ounce in one day, and two bright shiny eyes look at you, and into your soul and knowing that your child now recognizes you as Mama and Dada, or perhaps looks at you and does not see you at all…
It is that final hurdle before coming home! It is the sorry of waiting for the monitor company to show you what to do if the alarm sounds when your child is choking, gasping for breath, or simply dying. It is the joy of just being away from all those nurses and tubes and wires and beeps and walking into the nursery you hastily prepared because, after all, the child wasn’t due for another three months!
It is thinking that the nightmare is over…only to realize that it still continues in the from of such acronyms as BPD, CP, PVL and numerous others.
It is the realization that these developmental delays have to be dealt with, that reflux is a normal and unfortunate occurrence in most preemies, that the constant fight to gain weight is in direct proportion to a preemies inability to do so.
It is watching a child struggle to pick up his and her head, sit, crawl or walk. It is witnessing only silence when the child should be babbling.
It is the mental images of a child running and playing and communicating with others in a perfectly normal manner that are marred when you face years of therapy, in order to simply get the child to eat by himself or talk or walk and then run.
The preemie experience is a journey…a journey through your soul in order to find faith and strength to cope, A journey of the mind when you face the emotional weariness, a journey of the heart…to accept that no matter what, this child is yours, an you will love this child no matter what!

[hdirks]

Before I Go To Sleep…

Mommy, don't you cry now and Daddy don't you weep.

I want to whisper something before I go to sleep.

I know that when I cam here I looked perfect in every way.

And you were so proud, Daddy; when you held me on that day.

And Mommy, when you kissed me and wrapped me up so tight,

I knew that I belonged here and everything was right.

But then I stopped talking and began to slip away,

I saw your worried faces as you knelt by me to pray.

And Daddy, I always notice how you wipe away a tear,

When you watch the other children as they run and laugh and cheer.

I may not be able to tell you how much I love you so,

Or even show you how I feel and what I really know.

But when you hold me, Mommy, at night when all is still,

I feel the love you have for me and I know that all is well.

And Daddy, when you take me to the park to run and play

I know that you still love me thought the words I cannot say.

I want to tell you something before I go to sleep.

I may be sort of dirrect and you may not understand,

I know that I am not that little hild that you and Daddy planned.

But I love you both so very much and I know you love me too,

And if I could only speak my heart, you would feel my love for you.

I know the future is unknown and you will always have to be,

The ones who love and listen and take good care of me.

I know that you are frightened and you shed so many tears,

And if I could I'd wipe them dry and take away your fears.

So Mommy, don't you cry now and Daddy please don't weep.

I want to say…I love you both, before I go to sleep.

Written by Sally Meyer 2000

[hdirks]

I am Ethan.
You may not understand me, or the way I feel today.
You may not understand my reasoning for things I do or say.
The reasons why I'm so loud and say things over & over again,
Why I run so differently or lose my homework every now & then.
I write my letters backwards and sometimes numbers too,
and when in a conversation, I'll say "Guess what" 100 times to you.
Too much noise, light, or excitement can set me in a spin.
I don't like the way these pants feel rubbing against my skin.
I try to be good, but sometimes it's hard to control,
I have to do it, it's an impulse, I don't always do what I'm told.
Ketchup, Ranch and BBQ sauce on everything I eat,
sometimes I have days that I just can't sit still in my seat.
I like to talk a lot even when it's out of turn,
my mind plays tricks on me and interrupts what I'm trying to learn.
Sit up straight, wipe my face, and play ever so soft,
some of these things I have trouble with and I usually lose my train of thought.
I didn't mean to spill the milk mom, or slam the door so hard,
everyone else is done with their homework, I don't know where to start?
My heart's as big as gold, my feelings get hurt too,
I get sad, cry and have bad days just like you.
My brain works differently than other girls and boys,
but one thing always holds true, I can give your life so much joy.
I get frustrated so easily and my hand won't work that way,
I don't understand why those other kids won't let me come over and play.
Please don't think of me any differently or love of me any less,
I'm just like other kids and trying to do my best.
I am very special in my own unique way, and every moment with me
you'll never have a dull day.
By Kelly Graham

[hdirks]

God Sent to Me an AngelBy Paul Dammon 11/96God sent to me an angel,
it had a broken wing.
I bent my head and wondered
"How could God do such a thing?"When I asked the Father
why He sent this child to me,
the answer was forthcoming,
He said "Listen and you'll see.""My children are all precious,
and none is like the rest.
Each one to me is special,
and the least is as the best.I send each one from Heaven
and I place it in the care
of those who know my mercy,
those with love to spare.Sometimes I take them back again.
Sometimes I let them stay.
No matter what may happen
I am never far away.So if you find an angel
and you don't know what to do,
remember, I am with you,
love is all I ask of you."

[hdirks]

I Am The Child

I am the child who cannot talk. You often pity me, I see it in your eyes. You wonder how much I am aware of. I see that as well. I am aware of much ... whether you are happy or sad or fearful, patient or impatient, full of love and desire, or if you are just doing your duty by me. I marvel at your frustration, knowing mine to be far greater, for I cannot express myself or my needs as you do. You cannot conceive my isolation, so complete it is at times. I do not gift you with clever conversation, cute remarks to be laughed over and repeated. I do not give you answers to your everyday questions, responses over my wellbeing, sharing my needs, or comments about the world about me. I do not giveyou rewards as defined by the world's standards.. great strides in developmentthat you can credit yourself; I do not give you understanding as you know it. What I give you is so much more valuable... I give you instead opportunities.Opportunities to discover the depth of your character, not mine; the depth ofyour love, your commitment, your patience, your abilities; the opportunity toexplore your spirit more deeply than you imagined possible. I drive youfurther than you would ever go on your own, working harder, seeking answersto your many questions with no answers. I am the child who cannot talk. I am the child who cannot walk. The world seems to pass me by. You see thelonging in my eyes to get out of this chair, to run and play like otherchildren. There is much you take for granted. I want the toys on the shelf,I need to go to the bathroom, oh I've dropped my fork again. I am dependanton you in these ways. My gift to you is to make you more aware of your greatfortune, your healthy back and legs, your ability to do for yourself. Sometimes people appear not to notice me; I always notice them. I feel notso much envy as desire, desire to stand upright, to put one foot in front ofthe other, to be independent. I give you awareness. I am the child whocannot walk. I am the child who is mentally impaired. I don't learn easily, if you judge meby the world's measuring stick, what I do know is infinite joy in simplethings. I am not burdened as you are with the strifes and conflicts of a morecomplicated life. My gift to you is to grant you the freedom to enjoy thingsas a child, to teach you how much your arms around me mean, to give youlove. I give you the gift of simplicity. I am the child who is mentallyimpaired. I am the disabled child. I am your teacher. if you allow me, I will teach youwhat is really important in life. I will give you and teach you unconditionallove. I gift you with my innocent trust, my dependency upon you. I teach youabout how precious this life is and about not taking things for granted. Iteach you about forgetting your own needs and desires and dreams. I teachyou giving. Most of all I teach you hope and faith. I am the disabled child.

[hdirks]

My Perfect ChildAs my children were born, I wanted them
to be perfect. When they were babies, I
wanted them to smile and be content
playing with their toys. I wanted them to
be happy and to laugh continually in-
stead of crying and being demanding. I
wanted them to see the beautiful side
of life.
As they grew older, I wanted them to
be giving instead of selfish. I wanted
them to skip the terrible twos. I wanted
them to stay innocent forever.
As they became teen-agers, I wanted
them to be obedient and not rebellious,
mannerly and not mouthy. I wanted them
to be full of love, gentle and kind-
hearted.
"Oh, God, give me a child like this" was
often my prayer. One day he did. Some
call him handicapped... I call him Perfect!!Source/Author Unknown