courting??

Courtship, traditionally the wooing of a female by a male, includes activities such as dating (dinner and a movie, a picnic, or general "hanging out"), along with other forms of activity, such as meeting online (also known as virtual dating), chatting on-line, sending text messages or picture messages, conversing over the phone, writing each other letters, and sending each other flowers, songs, and gifts. Courting usually involves getting to know the family (especially the parents) of the one you are courting. Most of the time courting will be done somewhere public, to lower the chances of anything going on between the couple. Some couples who court do not even kiss until marriage.

Call me old fashioned. a hopeless romantic. sappy. I don't care. This is what I want for my children. and I have been talking with them about this very subject. A LOT!
I want my sons to grow up and win the hearts of their bride through actions. I want them to be loved, accepted, respected and welcomed into the hearts lives and families of the girls they choose.
I want my little girl to grow up and be swept off her feet. I want her to feel the feeling of not being able to breathe another breath unless she hears the voice of her beau. I want her to get giddy and excited when the mail comes or the phone rings. I want her to knock on my door at midnight because she can't sleep for thinking of him. I want to sit up and sip tea and snuggle with a cozy blanket and listen to her chatter on and on about how wonderful he is.
I want my boys to send love notes and flowers. I want my boys to love honor and respect the families of their beloved. I want the mother of their sweetheart to love them as much as I do.
I want the future spouse of each one of my children to feel blessed, honored, and  special to be chosen to be a part of their life.
I want 7 daughters-in-law who feel like they are the MOST SPECIAL person in the world because they are loved by one of my boys.
I want 2 sons-in-law who will be strong spiritual leaders, protectors, and make my little girls feel like they are1 in a  million.
I want my children to look into the eyes of their chosen as if its the first time they fell in love every day. I want to see them fall deeper in love every day. hold hands. cherish each other. honor each other. grow old in happiness with each other.
I do not want my children to grow up living on second chances and mapping out plan b or c or d because plan a fell through. I don't want my children to grow up and date so much and so many that they no longer have the ability to see who their soul mate is and what it feels like to hold the hand that was created to rest in theirs forever.
I am talking now to each of them. trying to teach them that although everyone around them will be dating around. what everyone else is doing is not always the best thing.
I am praying now for the spouses that are out there, growing up. I pray blessings over them. Now and forever.
am I crazy? a romantic? old fashioned? sappy?

family adventure

we had a lovely day at the Reiman Gardens in Ames. For the most part the kiddos all had a great time. They all seemed to enjoy the many varieties of butterflies and plants and the scavenger hunt to find all the Lego sculptures hidden in the gardens was a lot of fun.
Honestly, I only have 3 complaints....1. I was sweating. and I hate being HOT! 2. Burrito picked a pepper in the DO NOT PICK the vegetables please Garden!!! and yes I am the parent who strategically placed the picked pepper back under the plant to pretend the picking had not occurred. sorry. 3. Sam was in one of his moods. not just slightly. deeply rooted would not smile no matter what all day long mood. I hate those days.
So as we were leaving the gardens we were all mostly pleased a little tired from the heat and some were very hungry. We loaded up the van and began to discuss our eating options. I suggested we find a sandwich shop buy sandwiches chips and drinks then find a fun park to picnic at....I even got out my handy new phone and found several park options close by. Scott had other ideas in mind and I could tell his was the only option seriously on the table. Lets go to Hickory Park. technically its a park. (nice try Scott) I reminded him of what an experience in a restaurant with Burrito would be like and added that Baby J is big enough now to go either way, he could be really good and love it or.....and then there is the problem of Spuds who at nearly 7 months old still cant sit up so someone (me) will have to hold him the entire time. seeing that my plea was falling on deaf ears. I put the address into the garmin and we were on the way.
only one thought ran through my mind the entire 2.5 mile drive to Hickory Park....please let this be a pleasant experience.
HA!
It all started on a good note. each child filed nicely into the huge booth finding the menu and actually being kind to each other. Sam still has yet to smile or positively interact with anyone but at least he was looking and not being mean. Burrito sat nicely for the first 10 minutes. TEN! that is a record!!
Then it started. Burrito is slow to make a decision. he wanted to color but didn't want anyone else but Elijah to color. the lady only brought ONE jar of crayons with only 3 color options. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING???? after an ear piercing scream from the Burrito he quickly disappeared under the table. We chose to ignore him. eventually he came out. and everyone had chosen what they wanted to eat.
Our waitress returned. We started clockwise and everyone was nicely placing their orders until Burrito realized he was not first. he MUST always be first. ALWAYS. And when he realized there are no do-overs in restaurants with waitress who only bring one jar of crayons to a table with 7 children he began to scream and back under the table he went. I placed his order and off she went.
Baby J was getting cranky from no nap being in the heat and confined to a high chair when clearly he wanted OUT.
I had ordered Baby J some food to come with Scott's appetizer and the drinks. When they arrived, Baby J was less interested in his food and more interested in the little dishes of various sauces that came with Scott's onion rings and cheese balls. so now, I am juggling a wiggly Spuds who does not want to sit still trying to keep Burrito at the table not under, and now I am trying to keep Baby J's chubby little fingers out of the sauces!!
Finally food arrives. Burrito chucks the mason jar of crayons across the long table because he did not order his FOOD! then he retreats under the table. Just as he realizes he has a possible escape route I place my foot in the way to block him he BIT MY ANKLE! I bit my lip trying not to yelp! lean under the table while still holding Spuds to sternly whisper to my Burrito that he needs to get back up to the table and eat his lunch. he has his angry face on and growls GO AWAY. I wisely choose to leave him alone. Baby J now has each hand immersed in 2 different sauces, one hand is covered in ranch the other in honey mustard. I am juggling Spuds and cleaning up Baby J's little fingers when I feel something wet and slimy slide across my chest followed by glops of something wet and chunks falling down my shirt and landing in my bra....YEP Spuds had taken his opportunity to grab the top half of my chicken salad sandwich and smear it across my chest. So I lean back in my chair and I think...KEEP YOUR COOL. do NOT be one of those ugly moms who yells at their children in public. I proceed to finish cleaning up the sauces of of Mr. Grabby Chubby Fingers, then go to work and peeling the toasted wheat bread caked with chicken salad off my chest. when I mostly clean I looked at Scott who was diligently trying to keep his BBQ sauce under control as I see it dripping off his wrist and realize he could not have been any help anyway. I chuckle a little under my breath and realize I am completely helpless. I looked at Scott and informed him that some of the chicken salad will have to remain where it landed until I am in a more private location to clean it up. He laughs.
While all of this chaos is happening the other children are busy chatting and eating and Sam is sinking deeper and deeper into his mood and has moved from just being miserable to being miserable and a PAIN to the rest of the kiddos.
Then a brilliant idea occurs to me. Since my favorite sandwich turned into a finger painting project (besides the fact that the chef put HARD BOILED EGGS in the chicken salad. GROSS!! Who does that??) I didn't get to eat. So I look Scott DIRECTLY in the eyes and announce "I want you to order EVERYONE ice cream!" The look of horror in that mans face was priceless. We have rules! no dessert in restaurants. I could see it on Scott's face. We don't eat in restaurants was screaming in my head. I looked at him and said I am very serious! then I hear a small voice from the end of the table its Elijah....great the ONE time we get dessert I am too full from eating all my food to enjoy it! Sorry buddy this mama is getting ice cream! and yes. Burrito, even you who threw a mason jar at your sister, hid under the table numerous times, bit my ankle and did not eat even one bite of your food, even you get to have super hero ice cream. because that is the kind of mom I am! that and I surrendered to the day, realized it was out of my control before I arrived and decided I may as well enjoy the good parts. So. Ice cream for everyone!
then i leaned across the table and whispered to my husband....I hope you have this out of your system because this restaurant thing is never happening again.....

The wanderer

Burrito was diagnosed 9 months ago as being on the Autism spectrum. With this diagnosis was a measure of relief, because we had spent the better part of 3 years trying to figure out what was going on with him, and to finally have a name and a roadmap to guide us was a comfort. A bit of confusion, because I had worked with autistic children years ago and he just didn't fit the bill in my mind. it has been much like having a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle dumped in front of you, you are given a certain time frame to assemble it and half way through you realize someone exchanged some of the pieces from a different puzzle. Making it impossible to understand or make sense of it. Burrito has grown a lot this school year. Thank God he is on an IEP making it possible for him to attend a very good specialized preschool program. This year he has reached nearly all of his goals and has shown us how very smart he is in some areas. His screaming has decreased as his ability to use words to express himself has increased. He has to be reminded to use his words but often is able to. His public tantrums have also decreased. In the last 4 weeks we have only had 2 grand mal tantrums in public. Amazing really when you think they occurred every single time we took him anywhere. I have learned more of his triggers so it is easier to predict when the grand mal tantrums will come. Over stimulation is usually the main culprit. For example we went to see Dominique and his band play down town. There were lots of people, the music was loud and crazy, people were talking, screaming, dancing and laughing. After we left the show we had to stop at the store to purchase cold lunch items for the last few days of school. Chaos of the show and the trigger of the store we had the worst tantrum ever all through the store, into the parking lot, all the way home 40 minute drive. I was exhausted by he time we got home and poor Elijah was so embarrassed he cried. I wish there was some way to get people to understand. He did not need a spanking, he is nt a brat and no, sir, I was not kidnapping him. There is one hint I do not understand. One thing that has gotten increasingly worse. One thing hat quite honestly scares me to the very core of my being. He has always been a wanderer. He has always had a tendency to bolt. But now it is happening nearly every day, and sometimes more than once! One day he bolted out of the gate while I was holding spuds talking with a daycare dad. Then suddenly there he went. He shot like lightening up e hill before I knew it he was 2 blocks away, thankfully the daycare dad ran after him and was able to catch him. The next day, I was feeding spuds and I suddenly hear the front door open, I put spuds on the floor and ran out after him, to find I'm all the way down the hill on his way to the park. Have you ever had to chase a nasty little puppy who waits until you get right up close. To almost but not quite reach I'm and then he takes off again.....that is what it is like to chase burrito. The problem is if you don't chase him he won't stop. He lacks the ability to become afraid. Then one day he and I were in wal mart I got him out of his car seat was ready to put him up in the cart, I turned for one second to reach my purse turned back and he was GONE. It took me what seemed like forever to find him. I was scared and angry at the same time. On Thursday, scott burrito and I went to menaces to look at patio chairs, he had taken off a few different times I the store but with 2 of us we were a little more able to keep control. Until that is .... Scott was paying for our purchases and burrito and I went to pull e van up to the door to load our chairs. I pulled up to the door, turned around and told burrito, stay inx your seatbelt and watch daddy and mommy load the chairs in the van. I hopped down went around to the flat bed, loaded the cushions over the back seat...looked in the side door as I was getting the second load and he was GONE!!! I looked at scott he looked at me and we both saw him at the same time. Burrito had bolted into the store. Scott took off after him. I could hear burrito squealing from the door. Finally, after abut 10 minutes scott returned to the van with the burrito tucked under his arm, safe sound and exhausted. I must admit.....secretly as I heard scott grumbling under his breath....I was happy. Happy that for the first time it wasn't me chasing him through the store scared embarrassed and angry at the burrito....yes, I was happy that scott finally got a taste of reality. Isn't that awful?? How do we get this behavior under control? When he has no ability to understand the whole stranger danger thing? This is going to be a very long summer if we don't find a way to keep him safe.

Lately Madison has been distancing herself again. She only calls Scott. It seems that when life is going as she feels it should she pushes me away, wont talk to me and tells others lies about me. But, as soon as things begin to fall apart, mine is the first phone to ring, I get the hysterical Madison.
I didn't realize how far she had taken it this time around. Because that is what we do, go in rounds. She will always go around again. Its just a matter of time.
Tonight when I ran into her at the show Dominique was working, I realized. She is gone. She is not there. I saw her and knew it was her. But the Madison I saw was not one I could recognize. When she spoke her words, her voice. not hers. She leaned in and gave me a half hearted cold side hug. then it happened. and I knew. for sure. She is not there anymore. She introduced me to her friend as Angela. not my step mom, not mom, not this is angela my_____. just plain angela. I tried to gain eye contact to see if I could find her, she is very good at avoiding eye contact.
she didn't stay in my area long. I am sure she was just as uncomfortable as I was.
AS I drove through the streets of downtown and imagined all the places she has been in the year and 2 months she has been gone. I tried to imagine her sitting at each corner, sitting on the benches of the city.
I realized another thing as I drove and thought back on Madison's life.
She is gone, she will never be the Madison I know.
I will always love her, as I do all the children.
I will always pray for her protection.
but now. tonight . it feels like I am mourning. I have lost someone who is very dear to my heart. and right now I am just. sad.

time on the porch

this morning had such a peaceful feel.
well, at least for the first hour or so.
I was ready earlier than usual and enjoyed just being with Elijah as he got himself ready for his day. I love when these brief moments present themselves. With a family this size time alone with one child is rare.
I grabbed a fresh cup of coffee and we sat, Elijah and I on the front step just chatting about random things, nothing in particular. I love to hear his perspective on things, small things, like how he loves the feel of the early morning breeze blowing across his face. Or how he really likes how everything this early in the morning is so quiet that you can hear the birds sing and other natural sounds that get camouflaged by the sounds of children playing later in the day. He noticed so many things this morning that he usually doesn't see and hear. I love that he sat quietly, listened and actually enjoyed the morning.
I love that he still likes to sit with me. I hope he is just like Dominique in that respect. Dominique is nearly 22 years old and he will still sit with me on the porch and chat about nothing and something all at the same time. He still hugs me with out my asking and will never leave the house with out kissing my cheek and saying he loves me. I love that about both boys. Not all of my children are this way.
Those little things make me smile randomly throughout the day. Today I will have a few more smiles popping in and out of my day just because I had the gift of time on the front porch with one of my children....

Silly me! I have ALWAYS wanted a front porch. I dream of rocking on the front porch early in the morning with a cup of coffee, sitting in the evening with the kids as the sun settles in the sky. A front porch. That's what I want.
I knew we would be doing some yard improvements this weekend. So I decided to call city hall and find out if I need a permit to build a front porch. Great news! If it is made of concrete or brick, no permit needed. So began my brainstorm of spending Mothers Day weekend building a front porch out of stone....
First we measured wrong, then we ran out of one material after another, 4 trips in to Menard's and Sunday evening arrived and my front porch is almost half done, the mulching projects have gone in reverse since we decided after we had almost all the stone in that it would work better if we used timber instead. So, we pulled all the brick out. Frustrated my poor dear brother.And called it a night.
Today, I will call and find more sand for the porch, try to return brick and exchange it for timber. Hopefully by the end of NEXT weekend our project will be done.
It is very true that projects tend to take on a life of their own and the cost is NEVER what you think in the beginning.
I will post pictures soon!

This is my Burrito.

He is funny, silly, serious, fierce, hot headed,

stubborn, smart, and so much more!!

Days like this one in the above picture he is curious,

and onry just looking for trouble around every corner.

then there are moments. liny little moments that only last a few seconds.

where he is the sweetest child you could ever meet.

Like in this photo, he loves baby Spuds so much.

He is gentle, loving, protective and sweet to Spuds.

We do this a lot.

Burrito can throw down a mean tantrum

 and put everyone else to shame!

mostly though I love days like this one.

although this one was quite some time ago.

This morning my burrito woke up and announced he was not Zephan Daniel Albers

but in fact he was THE one and ONLY

Buzz Light Year!!

We did everything all morning as and with Buzz.

Breakfast with Buzz.

Potty as Buzz.

(dont ask, it wasnt pretty!)

Menards. Yes Ladies and Gentleman,

not only did I allow him toremain in the buzz costume and pretend he was the real Buzz,

But I also let him wear his Woody cowbooy boots!

He was SOOOOO Good too!

we got home and Buzz played out doors until lunch.

One thing I have learned over the years.

As  a mom, I need to choose my battles with my children wisely.

If my Burrito will be happy, fun to be around, and behave himself.

Then I really don't care if he goes everywhere in a Buzz Light Year costume.

If I am able to con him into comliance and out if disobedience then geuss what???

I will do it!

2 Corinthians 2:10

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

In his letters, Paul wrote many inspirational quotes to help during difficult times. He was sharing a very important principal about over-coming hardships in this verse. He was saying that when we can not do something, THAT is when God steps in and does something miraculous to intervene. The less Paul relied on his own strength and ability the more God was allowed to come in with His strength and abilities and change the situation.
This rang through my mind for a while, bouncing around like the lingering sounds after a loud cymbal crash.
Then It hit me.
ANGELA
A N G E L A
why are you trying to be strong enough for all these people and yourself??
Why do you think your way is better than HIS, your creator?
You sill woman.
His ways are perfect, His strength will not only guide me and carry me but will provide the refuge I so desperately seek.
No His timing does not always match mine. His is better. I may struggle to see that in the moment but looking back....every time when in sorrow and in joy in anger and in the happiest times of my life...HIS timing never failed. I failed at times, but God has never failed.
I feel this so deeply, I need to sit back, take a few deep breaths, and remember This is not my life I am living, my life belongs to Him who created me. My job is to live this life in a manor that is honoring and pleasing to Him.
No more bargaining, no more taking control, I will take a lesson from Paul. Delighting in my own weakness (Lord knows there are enough to delight in).

 I look around me and see the pain and sorrow that fills the world. It grieves my heart so deeply to see hear read about and feel the pain that fills so many. I have this natural inclination to reach out to the hurting and find a way to help them heal. It is so difficult to witness whether up close of from afar off such pain and brokenness and know there is NOTHING I can do to help ease the sting.
In the last 6 days alone, I have read about a Mommy who held the hand of her sweet 3 year old baby boy as he slipped from this life into eternity, I have read about and am praying for an 8 year old boy who was just diagnosed with brain tumors, I have a friend whose brother is a single father of 3 and suddenly collapsed rushed to the hospital and found to have a blood clot....thankfully recovery is in his future. I have seen horrors on the evening news, read headlines that cause me to weep over lives I don't even know.
I met a little boy who had been so severely beaten and burned that he will be permanently disfigured for LIFE yet his amazing courage and spunk brought me to my knees.
I think it may be true after all that trials and tribulations of life make us stronger, more courageous, wiser and better human beings. I hope.
I have prayed over these people and so many more, wept over them, Many of them I do not know nor will I probably ever have the chance to meet in real life.
Why then do I allow my heart to be ripped out of my chest, tossed about and then stomped on by the enormous boots of  human tragedy? I wish I had the answer to this question. It seriously has plagued me for quite some time now. Why do I care so deeply, so fully, so fiercely??Why do I weep tears that are laced with anger sorrow and fear? Sometimes I wonder what God was thinking when He created this heart to beat in this way.
I know one thing for sure....
These small snippets from other people's lives have given me a new perspective. My daily complaints and occasional criticism have no place in my life, world, vocabulary  seem to be considerably smaller than the way they felt even yesterday.

All day I have been formulating this blog post in my mind. It was going to be informative, profound, deep. It was going to challenge the reader to change their views on the subject matter.
I made sure the house was clean, dishwasher ready to go, kiddos bathed fed and snuggled into bed, then Spuds woke up to play, great it gonna be one of Those kind of nights. so after trying for an hour to get Spuds to sleep I gave up, made a cup of coffee and grabbed a new container of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
And now, I am sitting here listening to Spuds grunt around on the floor trying really hard not to give in to his sleepiness. and All I can focus on is how delicious this new ice cream is....
focus Ang...no good. I guess I will write mindlessly about the amazing garden I wish to create in my yard.
I want a lovely sitting area in the front, really would love to have a front porch with a rocking swing. I want to search for old pots and steel strainers and buckets then turn them into planters that will spill our beautiful flowers.I have all these ideas in my mind. lots of color, mixed in with all my veggies.wild flowers. roses. daisies. every where. I know exactly how I want it to look when its done. Then I remember all the things I do in a 24 hour period and wonder who will help me care for this sanctuary I am creating.
I reflect back on this day. As I sat feeding and rocking Spuds this afternoon I watched as the sweet retired couple across the street did yard work together. Side by side they pruned and fertilized and pulled and watered and manicured their beautiful yard. It was like watching a carefully choreographed musical watching the couple float around their property.
I have reached the last bite of my Ben and Jerry's ice cream and Spuds is crying.....again. I guess profound and moving posts will have to wait for a different day.

What would you do?

What would you do?
If you had a child who when she was small had severe behavior problems, so severe even the school cried out for help?
If you took that child to doctor after doctor to find out what caused these behaviors and found no explainable cause?
What would you do?
If even on medication that childs behaviors escalated far out of anyone's control?
What would you do?
If after YEARS of dealing with this doctor and that, this medication and the other one, behavior modification programs, weekly counseling, seeming to be in an emergency mode 24 hours a day, you STILL have no answers.
tantrums with no end. violence. self injury. threatening and hurting sibilngs. stealing. running away. hiding from teachers at school.
what would you do?
if the child is hospitalized for the first time the first week of summer following 4th grade?
At the end of this hospitalization you learn the child is not only ADHD but also bipolar.
What would you do???
would you educate yourself? Would you search the world over for treatment and hope?
that is what I did....I did not blame, or point fingers, or accuse, or create horrible stories to justify the situation.
I took classes. I searched and found books and seminars and more classes. We begged for professionals to come into our home to teach us ways to cope. for YEARS I drove every Wednesday 40 minutes one way to counseling. Searching for the right answers. A treatment plan that would bring peace to this child.
What would you do?
If the search lead to dead end after dead end and rather than get better through all the treatment, medications, interventions, spiritual guidance, classes and education and peace never arrived.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO???
When the school is at a loss and throws their hands up in the air in desperation. and your child is hospitalized again. now for the first of many suicide attempts.
What would you do?
Follow the treatment plan set forth by the newest doctors on board? Thats what we did. day treatment followed by homeschooling. new meds more counseling. new emergencies, new behaviors, more meltdowns in a 24 hour period than we could record.
What would you do?
If this child reports to a PROFESSIONAL they have been abused? Would you follow the recommendations of the professionals?
WHAT WOULD YOU DO???
THe new plan after the 4th hospitalization is to return the child to school. More interventions. more counseling. different meds.
Now the child is a teenager. She is dressing crazy. lying. trying to run away. she begins cutting. another suicide attempt.
What would you do?
If a youth leader from your childs youth group brings your child to you one Wednesday evening and informs you that your child has been raped and YOU need to do something about it because your child may be pregnant and is afraid.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?????
I cried. and together we as a trio called her counselor. and trudged through the horrific steps that are required of such a serious allegation.
We cried. A LOT. We loved our child. Stood by her. Supported her. and watched as she slid further and further away into a world of self destruction. We desperately tried to reach her. We took more classes. Saught out legal counsel, spiritual guidance, mental health support, we found ourselves swirling in a hurricain of turmoil and pain.
What would you do?
If your child was cutting herself so badly and so often that you were afraid to leave her alone? We slept on her bedroom floor, and sometimes we didnt sleep at all just sat watching as she slept. and real;ized that even in her sleep she was unable to find peace. tossing and turning and crying out in fear from nightmares. Nightmares plagued her waking and sleeping hours. No wonder this child was a mess.
What would you do?
We found a treatment facility out of state who specialized in treating young ladies just like our daughter. We drove hours. We signed papers. We watched the admitting process. We were at least relieved that all drug tests were negative. And she was not pregnant. We walked away. We cried.
What would you do?
IF your child is FINALLY making amazing progress. You are finally able for the first time in YEARS to see the beauty of her soul blossom. And then the call comes. The facility is closing, your child is not quite ready to graduate. Not quite ready for the world. But she has turned 18 while she was away, healing.
We brought her home. We were scared. ALmost right away we saw the old behaviors and dangerous coping skills return.
We found a new program. We believed in this program. It was PERFECT!!
She would have support. Counseling. Job training. complete her high school education. Learn daily living skills money management. Eventuall as she moved up in the program she would even be set up in an apartment with semi supervision and support to chase her dreams of studying cosmotology.
We had found HOPE.
What would you do?
If after all the healing you had witnessed. Suddenly your child regresses. She begins to rebel. AGAIN.
Then following another suicide attempt and hospitalization. She runs away.
What would you do?
We desperately searched a city for her. We cried. We did not sleep. We could not eat.
To save her to find her peace to keep her safe we had her committed. She was an adult. We sat in the mental health court. a cold stale unfriendly place to be. the 2 of us accompanied by her counselor. We pleaded for the courts intervention.
What would you do?
If your child claimed severe drug addiction and abuse. Yet no screen ever came up possitive.
Your child claimed pregnancy time after time with no baby.
Your child told stories of abuse that would make the toughest of all people cringe and cry....
We listened. We supported. We loved. unconditionally. That part we have down patt by now. Love her no matter what.
What wouldyou do?
If your child rejected all your help. all you had ever done and walked away.
We cried. We let. her. go.
What would you do?
If your child came back. filled with remorse and stories of more abuse?
We took her in. Gave her rules. Drove her to doctors and counseling 2 times a week. drove her EVERY DAY 40 minutes one way to school so she could complete her GED. We loved her still.
What would you do?
If your child found a new boy, ran away again and rejected all the plans and help your had for her?
We cried. We let her go. We hoped and prayed she would return.
What would you do?
If your child went door to door begging for work money and help from every person who lived in your town, telling them you had kicked her out? We told the truth and apologized. over and over and over.
What would you do?
If your child kept running? from man to man. place to place.
we cry. we pray. we love her.
What would you do?
If that child ran into the home and arms of the very people she had repeatedly told PROFESSIONAL over the years had hurt her?
We did nothing.
We let her go.
What would you do?
if this was your life with your child.....
I wish we would have had the love and support of family through the years.
I wish we would have been able to find peace for our child.
I wish we would have found the one book, class, medication, the ONE SOMETHING that would have worked.
Today. that child lives somewhere away from here. she has finally completed her GED. For that we are grateful and PROUD.
What would you do?
Would you have failed your child as we did?