A Very Special Child and Come Touch His Cheek - Poems by Gary Shulman, MS. Ed.

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Gary Shulman, MS. Ed. has spent a lifetime supporting vulnerable families and children. He began his career working with children with and without disabilities in an inclusive Head Start program in Brooklyn NY. He then transitioned to become the Special Needs and Early Childhood Coordinator for the Brooklyn Children's Museum for 10 years.

His passion for advocacy grew as he worked more and more with parents of children with disabilities. For over 24 years he passionately advocated for the needs of these parents as the Social Services and Training Director for Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. in NYC.

The last 8 years of his working life, Mr. Shulman served as a private Special Needs Consultant conducting hundreds of training sessions throughout NYC and beyond to help parents and professionals find and access the services and systems required to facilitate maximizing the potential of their children with disabilities. Now Mr. Shulman is happily retired in Palm Springs CA, but still volunteers his time any way he can to provide information to those in need of his expertise. Listed below are two poems written by Gary Shulman, MS. Ed. - Special Needs Consultant and Trainer.

A Very Special Child

(Dedicated to Matthew)

In life sometimes an angel appears

As a child with adversity to endure

Yet absolute truth from his mouth would flow

So honest, refreshing and pure

And so in our lives such a child did appear

Diminutive, cherubic and sweet

A smile that would melt a glacier

Often in pain from his head to his feet

Brain and body constantly struggling

Struggling just to survive

Daily functions we'd take for granted

Each day a miracle that he remained alive

To live in this world he was driven

"Please and thank you!"

Would fill each day

Every moment replete with music and laughter

Warming your soul like the sun's healing ray

He knew pure truth as truth should be

No judgments, nor bias nor hate

Once loudly foretelling my nuptial

which came true....and it wasn't just fate

For this innocent child so wracked with pain

Saw beyond the societal norm

And recognized that love is love

Seeing the future in a much purer form

I would love to say the angel lives on

To bless this world today

But his frail and painful body and mind

On earth just could no longer stay

Forever blessed we will always be

His blessings we can never repay

We know his love lives on forever

For eternity and a day

© Gary Shulman, MS. Ed. (August 5, 2021)

Come Touch His Cheek

This child of mine you stare at so,

Please come closer so you will know

Just who my child is and what I see

when those sweet eyes stare back at me

I see no limits to my child's life

Although I know

It will be filled with strife,

I'm hoping that doors will open each day

I'm praying that kindness

will come his way

You look frightened?

You tremble with fear?

Come, come closer

touch him my dear

Touch his cheek so soft

so sweet

Be one of those people

he needs to meet

Someone who will look

and hopefully see

The skill, the talent

The ability

Please come closer

You don't have to speak

Come a little closer

Just touch his cheek

And when you do

you will see

He is no different

than you or me

© Gary Shulman, MS. Ed. - Special Needs Consultant and Trainer

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