Everyone knows the nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
Children are like Humpty Dumpty. Sometimes they fall and sometimes they can't be put back together again. How do you protect them from the great fall? How do you tell a seven year old child who has been in foster homes and who has been with her siblings in a relative home for four years that her caregiver doesn't want her there anymore? How do you protect her from that great fall? The one where she has been told that she is bad? Is it her fault that she has behaviors that can be a challenge to work with? Has everything been done to mend the cracks that she has from her previous falls? I don't believe that a seven year old child is a throw away and I don't believe that she should be punished for mistakes that adults have made. Parents that didn't or couldn't keep her. Workers and caregivers that didn't get her the counseling that could help her through the rejections she has had. It's not too late. But, when I go to her home and tell her that she is moving. That she will no longer live with her siblings. That she is going to a foster home, or an emergency shelter and will be living once again with strangers. How will I answer her questions about why her caregiver wants her brothers and her sister, but doesn't want her? How will I be able to protect her from the great fall so that I can start the process of putting her back together again?
It's okay for big girls to cry. I have already cried when I was talking to the caregiver, trying to convince her that we don't give up on the little ones. Will she cry? Will I cry with her? Maybe. Because it's okay to cry. But then, I will start putting her back together again. And I pray that she will only be cracked and not broken into little pieces that can't be put back together.
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7 comments:
Just a note. I started crying again as I finished writing this. I'll probably have more tears when I actually move her. But it's okay. Crying is the beginning of healing.
Sending big hugs sista, it is okay to cry and yes it will be a beginning of the healing. God Bless you for being you.
Reina, I'm crying along with you here. You just give that poor little girl as much love as you can - that will help HER to heal, knowing someone does love her and care what happens to her. You hang in there, and know we're all with you and giving you love and virtual hugs through it all ...
Thank you sista and brandy. I'm so glad I have friends like you guys.
It's often the children that suffer the most in a broken family. Too many adults are concerned more about what they want than anything else and end up teaching their children to do the same. I hope she can find her way to a better situation without feeling that it's her fault.
What a sad story....I am just speechless for the girl.....
They treat her like she's a throwaway...and that's just not true.
I appreciate all of your comments. I think most people are like you guys, kind and caring. I pray that this little girl will realize that there are adults who love her and care for her. That will go a long way towards making her feel safe and secure.
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