Shiny Pearl

A good friend of mine has a daughter whom I have watch grow up.  She has special needs and requires a one-on-one care provider to give her constant supervision.  She has grown into a young lady of 23, graduated high school and lives in a group home in Albermarle, NC.
Her name is Melissa.

A girl named Melissa

A special young lady named Melissa is as dear as anyone you’ll meet,

She has autism and is not too verbal, but what a thrill to have her greet,

She says “Hi” to me multiple times, and multiple times I reply,

She has never met a stranger; she’s a social butterfly,

She signs into her hand the letters of my name,

She does it every time we meet; it always is the same,

She enjoys repetition and a schedule she must follow,

She knows what today is and the day after tomorrow,

She likes cheese and blueberry muffins; those are her favorite snacks,

She went to prom and graduation; those are just the facts,

I have had the pleasure of knowing her, since she was a girl,

If you opened the oyster shell, she is the shiny pearl,

A curiosity to watch her grow, to see her swim the pool,

To see her dance to music; to see her go to school,

Sometimes she sits quietly and I wonder what she is thinking,

Her mind seems to be racing; her attention seems to be shrinking,

She loves Barney and Disney and vacationing on a cruise ship,

She remembers everyone she’s ever met with accuracy like a bullwhip,

Her Mom is her biggest advocate; she wants for her the best life,

Fulfilling and purposeful; happiness without painful strife,

Her Mom will not be silenced when it’s a voice Melissa needs,

She wants for her opportunities and for Melissa to succeed,

Melissa is now a beautiful woman of twenty-three,

She has a lot to offer, as we can clearly see,

All grown up, in a group home, not a little girl,

But inside that oyster shell, she is still the shiny pearl! 

Tammy Harvey   written:  8/19/2016

Melissa & Cinderella at Disney