Caregivers Christmas
'Twas the night before Christmas, When all through the house A caregiver was scurrying, Caring for her dear spouse His stockings were placed Upon his feet with great care In hopes he felt well enough to step out for some fresh air Their children were scattered, All snug in their beds Around this great country, Not a care in their heads And the caregiver who worked nights, 'Cause the funds they did tap Had just settled down for a five minute nap When in the next room, there arose such a clatter, She sprang from her bed to see what did splatter. Away past the bed sheets she had thrown in the trash, Tore open a new set and hoped these would last The weight on her breast was of one who did know That, by the luster of daybreak Her sorrow would grow When, what in any other year Would be a thing quite so dear That time when her family would visit From far and from near With no one to hold her, since her loved one took sick She felt that the holidays were just a mean trick More rapid than eagles her friends they did flee When they could no longer travel or even take tea No Cohens!, no Schwartzes!, no Millers!, no Dicksons No, Olivets, no Lutids, no Donners and Micksons For a while they gave support, for a while did they call Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away to the mall! As new restaurants that before were easy to try, When her loved one was too sick, away did they fly So now with the holidays, the family will do with the sleigh full of presents, and bad advice too And then, in a twinkling eye, I heard in the drive Aunt Nancy and Chloe and all my in-laws arrive. As I had in my hand, a bedpan disposal bound I turned very quickly and tripped over the hound My man was a mess from his head to his toes And his clothes were soiled and not easy on the nose A bundle of nerves, I shout out very loud Words, which to this day, do not make me feel proud He lay there so quiet, not saying a thing When suddenly his laughter filled our home Like a fresh breath of spring He doubled over with glee making such a roil That he slapped a bad knee through the all too grim soil As his eyes twinkled through all the great mess, For a moment this old dear Forgot the pain of this past year On a normal night, the pain of his stump Would make him tighten his teeth, But tonight, for a moment, his laughter Caused such uncommon relief That the joy of it encircled his head like a wreath; As he lay on the bed he shook his round belly, For all the world, not unlike a big bowl of jelly He was lying there laughing, like a jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; When, all of a sudden, the door burst opened wide as can be And what did I see, the Cohens, the Schwartzes and Aunt Nancy all looking at me With nary a word as they made up the bed Then they all straightened up and got us both fed They all had not known the support that I needed But once they saw they could help, They learned and succeeded In sharing the heart, the soul and the care That I always was sure was really right there I hadn’t spoken a word of the great strain and the work So I thought they had all turned into one major jerk After knowing what help each could give if I did ask I never again had to shoulder the entire task We had time to play and to sing and to wet a whistle Until away they all flew like the down of a thistle But I heard my loved ones, as they drove out of sight "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night! And, we're coming back, next Friday Eve To take you out for a bite."