How My Sister Communicates

No matter how many times she does it, I’m still amazed by my sister Abbie’s ability to tell us what she wants and what she’s thinking.
As many readers know, Abbie is mentally-challenged and, although she can talk, it’s very rare that she does. People always ask me how Abbie communicates with us and it’s hard for me to explain but she does.
On Monday, my nephew took my father (who celebrated his birthday on Jan. 21), my brother (whose birthday was Monday) and Abbie out to lunch to celebrate Daddy and Danny’s birthdays. They stopped by the office on the way back home and Abbie came up and hugged me and laughed. I understood then that she was trying to tell me something but I couldn’t figure it out.
That’s when Daddy told me that Ryan’s girlfriend had gone to lunch with them. I asked Abbie if that was what she was trying to tell me and she gave me a high five.
I told you she could communicate.
The next night, we went to Denny’s. Abbie looked at the menu and saw a picture of the nachos on there. She began pointing and we knew that she wanted them.
Remember, I told you Abbie could communicate with us.
In spite of the nachos and sauce being spicy hot, Abbie dug in with relish and began eating them and the sour cream with them. (You have to remember, Abbie cannot only communicate, she is smart. She knew the sour cream would help with the heat.) After Danny had finished eating his food, he took a bite of Abbie’s food and commented on how hot it was.
Abbie looked at Danny like he was crazy and put one finger to her forehead and then pointed it at him as if to say, “It’s all in your mind.”
I told you Abbie could communicate.
A few weeks ago, Danny said something and apparently Abbie didn’t see the logic behind it, so she formed her fingers into the sign of an “L” and put it on her forehead, as if she was calling him a loser. (She’s probably going to do the loser sign to me soon, too if she hasn’t already done it and I missed it.)
Didn’t I tell you Abbie could communicate?
God gives each of us different abilities and talents. Some people choose to bury theirs and hide them. Abbie makes the most of what she’s got and she makes her big brother happy that she does.