3 Hearing Kids, 2 Deaf Parents and a Present-Opening-Ceremony @ Grammy’s!

"On the day before-Christimas, my cousins came to meee.."

The kids are my Cousins, the parents are my Uncle and his Wife, who are as bad at being on time as I am staying in contact. When they did arrive, they chose their seats around a tree their oldest son, of 13, had put up on a previous visit. The Parents, who didnt have much social contact growing up themselves, being deaf within hearing families, where more interested in their phones and iPads than the kids and their presents. 

The children all made note of the fact they had less gifts this year than the year before-- true they did have less, though I taunted "perhaps it should be no-gifts, hm? Then you'd really have a comparison wouldn't you?" I was jesting overdramatically, but they all seemed to catch my drift.. for a little while. They tore into their presents so fast, I can't really blame their parents for not watching; it was over in about two minutes...

The cash-money got most of their attention, even more so than the ticket to an art class they'd been begging to go back to, and more than the private art lesson where they where gauronteed one on one artistic demonstration and support-- something they'd each asked for... in not so specific of words.

Alas, the gem of perspective was in the aftermath. Sitting on the stoop while they played in the twilight of a full-moon Christmas eve. As I watched them, and helpped guide them into symbiotic games, rather than competitive games.. I realized how starved for possive, reasonable, and sinsere attention they where.  How they craved a contrast to the warped yelling of their mother, who has some hearing and speech abilities, and gruff grunting with forceful signing of the meaty hands of their father.

Watching them run their own relay-race between power-poles last night, was a stark contrast to the bickering banshee-like wildness they act with around their Parents. Rebelling against one another, all disgruntled by their cercumstances and lack of quality communication. Not for lack of ability, no, they can all sign and write and read, yet the social lack their Parents suffered has bled into their own family, creating barriers of pent up animosity for the things they don't know how to talk about.

At least for one night, last night, they got to run under the foggy full moon, with more smiling and fun than fighting and loathing. A night where they weren't put in compitition with one another, but prompted to play as a team. Even as the middle child and only girl went inside, the boys and I continued to play with a camera and some glow sticks. The oldest had the idea to take pictures of the full moon and the youngest boy wantd to twirl the glowsticks on strings. I prompted them together-- the oldest taking pictures of the youngest with the rings of glowing light he was creating.

The highlight of my night, was watching them exchange places with a hesitant please and thank you,  as if the courtesies where foriegn in their mouths. The youngest them trying to caputre his brother with the twirling lights and the oldest trying to whirl them in cooler combinations than his brother had. They where having fun, and I didn't have to do much but push them in the right direction and watch it unfold.

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