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    The Princess And The Pee: Caring For A “Special Needs” Person
    The Princess And The Pee: Caring For A “Special Needs” Person
    The Princess And The Pee: Caring For A “Special Needs” Person
    Ebook117 pages1 hour

    The Princess And The Pee: Caring For A “Special Needs” Person

    By Carolyn Franklin M.A.

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    About this ebook

    For those of us who have the care of a special needs family member or friend, the responsibilities can be overwhelming. Like my “princess and the pee,” Life, like the laundry, can be on “full load.”

    This book “listens” and tells you you’re not alone. Perhaps there are no solutions to your situation, but there are people who care, who understand. This is not a clinical book - these are real-life stories of paranoia, dyslexia, high IQ, attention deficit - our day by day events we can understand in a new way and perhaps learn new perspectives. The book shares ideas, problems, strengths and even a laugh or two. You do your best - but is there more, what’s missing? Perhaps you’ll learn you’re doing your best, perhaps you’ll be uplifted.

    At times we know special needs people can be clever manipulators. How do we gently, but firmly, counter manipulation? When their behavior is purposefully unacceptable, we caretakers need to address the problem immediately and correct it as we can. This book offers ideas on what to do.

    When days are good, we can rejoice. When days are not good, we have every right to be cranky, tired, sit down and have a good cry. Unfortunately, we’re only human - there’s no cure for that. But, always the sun comes out tomorrow, have faith.

    At this time there are few answers or solutions for respite for ourselves and the ones we care for. But we can take strength from each other, learn from each other, lift each other up and walk in the Light. That’s what we’re here for.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCarolyn Franklin M.A.
    Release dateFeb 15, 2019
    ISBN9780463577035
    The Princess And The Pee: Caring For A “Special Needs” Person
    Author

    Carolyn Franklin M.A.

    M. A. Communication StudiesM. A. EducationB. A. Psychology30 years voice training (San Francisco Opera)Voice/Speech improvement CoachContact Carolyn - voicedynamicscf@yahoo.com

    Read more from Carolyn Franklin M.A.

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      Book preview

      The Princess And The Pee - Carolyn Franklin M.A.

      The Princess And The Pee

      Caring For A Special Needs Person

      Carolyn Franklin M. A.

      Version 2

      voicedynamicscf@yahoo.com

      Copyright Carolyn Franklin M. A. 2019

      All rights reserved

      Contents

      START

      PRINCESS MARY

      DEFINE NORMAL

      SILENT AND OBVIOUS IMPERFECTIONS

      THE OBVIOUS IMPERFECTIONS

      THE SILENT IMPERFECTIONS

      PERSONAL HANDICAPS

      WHY ME? IS IT MY FAULT?

      BEING AN EXAMPLE…WHAT CAN WE TEACH OTHERS?

      KARMA

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      OTHER BOOK BY CAROLYN FRANKLIN

      We all know the fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea. Well, if not, here’s a quick review.

      Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, the Queen was standing at the palace windows, watching a pounding rainstorm beat on the palace gardens. Her mind was far from the storm; she was thinking about her handsome young son, Prince Charming. Where can I find a wife for him, she wondered. A beautiful, true princess so they can be happy and rule the kingdom.

      The princess that marries my son must be, above all, a delicate girl; only a true princess is delicate. Where can I find such a treasure as that?

      As the wind whipped the trees and lightening flashed, the Queen heard a knock on the enormous, ancient palace doors.

      Surprised, and curious to see who would be out on such a stormy night, the Queen opened the big, heavy doors herself. There, before her, she beheld a beautiful young girl dripping rivulets of rain, soaked and shivering in the cold night air.

      Oh, please, she whispered through chattering teeth. I am Glendora, a true princess, lost and cold. Please let me in.

      The queen was astounded and thought, If she is a true princess she may marry my son. I will put her to the test.

      While Glendora, the true princess, dried herself by the huge, warm fireplace, she ate a bowl of thick, hot delicious vegetable soup with a big slice of bread and some melted cheddar cheese on top - with a dash of garlic - oh, so good. And, now she was so very tired, so very sleepy she could barely hold up her head.

      Meanwhile, the Queen was busy at work making a test for the young girl.

      She commanded the servants to pile up dozens of mattresses and quilts on the bed so it went up quite high to the ceiling. Then she placed a single pea underneath all the bedding, and said, Let’s see how well she sleeps with that pea poking her in the back. I’ll soon know if she’s a true princess or not.

      As tired as she was, the true princess had to climb all the way to the top of the mattresses and blankets. The palace servants were very kind and helped her get under a thick blanket, where they tucked her in and left.

      Oh, but she couldn’t sleep. Tired as she was the pea under all the bedding was like a big rock poking her in the back all night. She turned and twisted and rolled and flopped and scrunched up her knees, but nothing helped.

      She just couldn’t sleep. She stared into the darkness, and squinted her eyes and squished her eyes and rolled her eyes to try to sleep.

      Nothing happened. She was soooo tired… her back hurt…

      In the morning, the queen asked the beautiful girl, How did you sleep, my Dear?

      Oh, Glendora complained. I couldn’t rest at all. There was a big lump in the mattress right in the middle of my back. I hurt all over and I’m sooo tired.

      Then, the Queen knew she was delicate, a true princess, and she married Prince Charming and they lived happily ever after.

      Hans Christian Anderson, the author of this delightful fairy tale, never explained what a true princess was doing out on a stormy night, all alone. And then, how does a tired, delicate young girl manage to climb up dozens of mattresses and quilts to get under the covers?

      Oh, well, I guess we’ll never know.

      MARY 1969

      PRINCESS MARY

      My daughter, Mary is not a true princess, but close enough. In her life before the accident (1974) and her life now in a wheelchair, she was a ballet dancer, a singer, performer, played piano and was exceptionally beautiful. She sustained severe brain damage in the auto accident and is resigned to the wheelchair, unable to care for herself. She does reasonably well managing what she can in life, but incontinence is her strong suite.

      I call her The Princess and the Pee.

      In that endeavor, she excels; in the morning, when she arises, no matter how many pads are placed on her bed - how high they go, whether plastic, rubber, how thick or how water proof they are - she manages to keep the washing machine busy. I often think of the pioneer women and wonder how they handled that. I doubt there were many pioneer princesses.

      Before her accident, Mary was a warm, happy girl. She still is, but the traits that were endearing then are over-the-top now. She was friendly, easy to laugh. But now she handles everyone - grabs them, tells them she loves them, calls everyone, Honey. She is still beautiful, which helps dilute her hands-on approach. But, people, in general, do not like to be touched.

      I try to restrain her, but it’s difficult. People either allow her to maul them, or they avoid her altogether. Very few people understand how to help her draw a line between a Hello and a tight hug.

      Because of Mary’s situation, I have been immersed in the cause and culture of handicapped persons, imperfect, and, special needs persons. This is a separate world from the bustling activities of average people who can bypass a hand rail to leap up a flight of stairs, jump over a garden hose on the walk-way, push open a heavy restaurant door, then slip into a restaurant booth without pushing or grunting and know they’ll have elbow room to eat and pass the salt.

      AT CHURCH

      Surprising and disappointing, the one place where you’d think would be acceptance for a special needs person, a handicapped or different person, would be at a church.

      The sanctuary where I worshipped for many years prided itself on welcoming anyone who was outside of the norm. I’d been active at that parish long before the time when Mary had her accident, and, after her physical recovery her social behavior

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