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| Two Writing Teachers |
One day I walk down the hall reading the pledges written by my students from last year. I smile at their career choices. I see the professional athletes, but I also see a chemist, an interior designer, a writer, and a stand-up comedian. Quite a menagerie of dreams!
My eyes focus on one.
My breath is taken away.
My heart hurts.
I think about "Amy" and the life from which she came. A life of abuse. Abuse most of us could never even imagine, let alone live through.
Her mother was a drug user and eventually lost her life due to an overdose. Her youngest sibling was just a newborn at the time.
Although Amy still has emotional issues, she has come so far. When most kids are dreaming of what they want to be when they grow up, Amy was worried if she would even get the chance to grow up. If she would ever be loved the way a child is supposed to be loved by a mother.
She and her siblings were in and out of foster homes for many years, but they thankfully landed in a foster home with a loving couple. Eventually, the couple adopted all four children and gave them stability, love, a home, a family. My hope and prayer is that this cycle of abuse will stop with Amy.
Today, as I reread her pledge card...
My eyes focus on one.
My breath is taken away.
My heart hopes.
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| A great mom not a drug person who smokes. |
My heart breaks for children who don't know the love of a family. There is hope in that pledge for a better life.
ReplyDeleteSo touching. I am sure that years from now, some of the children will remember this pledge, and make a right choice at a crucial time in their lives. I am sure Amy will be a great mom!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing a story of hope. We should never forget to look for hope in a world that sometimes seems hopeless, to take time to notice it, and to plant seeds of hope as we go through our days and touch lives that need it.
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely - and how marvelous that Amy found that life is full of hope, after all. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteWhen people like you surround her, her future is bright full of hope and potential. Glad she is taking the step.
ReplyDeleteOh, chills. Amy is in such a good place now and knows the importance of a great mom. I'm saddened but also uplifted by her goals for all that she missed out on, but on all the hope she has to do better in her life. Thanks for sharing this touching slice.
ReplyDeleteI love the structure of this slice and your movement from "my heart hurts" to "my heart hopes". I'm grateful that Amy and her siblings landed in a place where they can be nurtured and supported. Kudos to that fabulous family!
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