Well I have some great news and some not so great news. I think I'll start with the great news, because I feel like that might be an easier transition. So here it is: Remember little Richard (one of my favorites) from Marla's home, who has been gone with a family for awhile? Well he's back! One day I showed up for my morning lesson at Marla's, and he was just standing in the doorway, smiling with his little chubby cheeks and looking as perfect as ever. It's felt more complete since he's been back, and he seems genuinely happy to be reunited with his family at the home. I don't know the details of his case, but apparently something didn't work out with the family that was looking to adopt him. From what I've understood, they weren't the model family that was previously believed, so social services removed Richard and brought him back to Marla's. It breaks my heart that such a young child is going through so much right now, and I had better not find out that the family was anything less than wonderful to Richard or I will hunt them down, but Richard seems happy now and he's safe and in a loving environment, so all is well.
As for the not so great news, two of my other girls at Marla's, sisters named Vilma and Gloria, were taken back to their family last week. It should be a cause for celebration since they are being reunited with their true family, but these situations always make me uneasy. From my point of view, the girls were obviously removed from their home for a serious reason, and as much as I want to believe that their home situation has improved as drastically as it seems, it's hard not too worry about the conditions to which they are being returned. Vilma and Gloria are two of the most genuinely sweet and loving children I've met here, and they deserve to be showered with all of the love in the world, and I worry and pray that they are receiving the care and adoration they need.
It's crazy how quickly these children can come and go from my life, and how much it affects me when it happens. Vilma and Gloria left Marla's on Friday afternoon, quickly and without warning, and so I had no opportunity to tell them goodbye. I simply showed up for tutoring on Monday and they weren't there. It was the same story with Richard; I walked in to the home expecting to see him, and he just wasn't there. It happens so fast and unexpectedly, it's almost impossible to process for at least a few days, and it's even worse at King's home. Since there are so many children there, I am constantly replacing names and faces that I know so well with completely new ones. One day I'll take a couple of children to the park to play, and then I'll never see them again. It's all so fleeting and sudden and uncertain, and it's probably the most emotionally challenging part of my job.
Contemplating Vilma and Gloria's disappearance made me realize just how swift life moves. One day everything is normal and sensible, and the next it might not make any sense at all. So it is imperative that we take advantage of the time we have and the people we love, and make the most of everything. We get so caught up planning for the future and waiting for someday, that we forget to live in the moment and cherish the immediate. And the problem with all of that planning and waiting is that time never stops and never slows. Time races by, it doesn't wait for someday, and I think that we tend to forget that. Life is brief and unpredictable, and we can't waste it by constantly looking ahead. I've lost relationships that I believed would last a lifetime, and lost loved ones who I thought would always stand by my side, and lost opportunities by waiting for a better one to come along, and I'm willing to bet that you have too. So we need to stop looking ahead, focus on what is surrounding us, and live in our moment, because you never know what will be gone the next time you blink. It's difficult to live in today without worrying about tomorrow, I know it is, but it's the only way I know to live without regret and without the haunting "what ifs" that can envelop our minds. So remember to choose your words wisely, live your life bravely, and take your opportunities immediately. Today is never too late, but tomorrow might be.
