Monday, February 17, 2014

La Despedida de M.!

*If you'd like to read a little bit about M.'s history, click here

Today, one of "my" own left Casa de Amor. This day was in the making from the day she arrived here. The plan was never for her to be here long-term. She arrived last March, and with a compromise with her mom, it was decided that she'd stay until the end of the year/she was walking. When I left at the beginning of December, I assumed that that was my goodbye… that she'd be leaving sometime while I was still at home. Well, that didn't quite happen! For various reasons, she stayed. Of course I was thrilled to still have her at the baby home when I came back in mid-January! I was able to enjoy her for exactly a month before she moved back in to jail with her mom.

We kept putting off M.'s actual "moving day." Last week when M. and I went to visit her mom, she asked us if we could bring M. today (Monday) instead of Friday (last Friday…  which was the original plan). I told her I was sure it'd be fine, but I needed to check with the administration first. Back at home, we all agreed that today was the day.

I've known since I arrived that this day would eventually come. I knew I would miss M. (she's constantly with me at the house and cries when I leave the room), but I didn't really think this day would be sad. I was so wrong... I felt like I did on the day I left. 

We had a little despedida (farewell) party for her this morning. We had some cake and then packed up the rest of her stuff and off we went. Normally, when we enter the jail, M. cries and sometimes screams. I don't know why, but she doesn't like going through the doors. She's fine once they let us into the jail and we're with her mom… It's just the five minutes leading up to that that she doesn't like. Today, she didn't cry at all! When we went in, she actually RAN up to her mom! If you know her, you know what a huge accomplishment that is! Her mom was so excited to see her. She was actually in the middle of making M. some soup for lunch but took a break from the kitchen while I was there. We arrived almost at the end of the morning visiting hours, so I didn't stay for long. When I left, M. started crying which nearly killed me. I'm going to miss her so, so much.




1 comment:

Jennifer Beaty (Thompson) said...

I've known Michel since she was a couple of hours old, but you really became her second mother! Thank you so much for your great love and care for her. :)