The Candy Dish

I’ll never forget my first Christmas back in 1967, the year I broke my neck and became a quadriplegic. Knowing I was far from earning a weekend pass out of the hospital, I felt as gray and dismal as the weather outside my ward window. I was sad I wouldn’t have any Christmas gifts for my parents or sisters. That’s when my occupational therapist suggested that I create my own gifts… with my mouth. I protested at first, thinking it was too demeaning to stick brushes between my teeth and slather paint on plaster dishes.

But finally I gave it a try, using green poster paint (thankfully none of it got in my mouth!). After the glazed dishes came out of the kiln, I was amazed — yes, they’d make perfect gifts! And my family thought the same when they unwrapped them on Christmas Day. My point? Think outside the box when it comes to gifts, because the best thing you can give this Christmas… may be yourself. (And yes, here’s the one remaining dish from 50 years ago).