Yesterday I put in a full day's work! I worked ten and a half hours, more than I have in any day I've been home since the New Year started. I'm pretty pleased to have done so without getting too tired.
Now mind you, I'm a person who has worked 14-16 hours a day since I was 16. Over 30 years of pushing myself to get as much done as possible, so it's been a very hard transition. But I was thankful to have the energy to do that much yesterday and am hoping to have some more today.
Mike has asked that I come with his girlfriend to visit him in jail this morning so I will be going to visit both boys. It sounds like Mike might be staying to execute his time so he will no longer be on probation.
When I visited him on Sunday night I only talked to him for a minute or two as he wanted to give most of his time to Tessa, but I wish I would have had a video camera. He said, in essence, "I wish there was someone in the court room who could explain stuff to me. I never know what is going on. I get in there and all this stuff happens and then suddenly I'm signing a piece of paper and either leaving or going back to jail and I never really understand why."
This would be an excellent thing to show when training about FASD. The judicial system confuses me and I have a very well organized brain, a graduate degree, and plenty of common sense. For him it's impossible to navigate.
Society must find a different way to handle those whose brains are wired differently. Putting them in jail for the weekend to "get their attention" or giving them more consequences so they will learn just doesn't work. Until we can convince people of this fact, there will be no rehabilitative justice.
John's hearing is Thursday and he has concluded that he will most likely have to spend some time in prison, leaving our area. He's quite sad to be leaving Isaac ... but court is Thursday and maybe things will work out differently for him. It's not looking good.
We are experiencing some financial worries because of the cuts in my hours but God is daily showing us that, as we sang in choir on Sunday, He will "supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19)
Sadie and I had pie yesterday, our thing to do when she wants to talk. She just returned from a youth event which she described as life-changing and has agreed to join the "design team" to plan future events. I'm proud of her. She has so many gifts and has no fear of being in front of people. I have a feeling she is going to be able to do some amazing things once she gets past the stage of being a somewhat rebellious teenager.
Time to wake everyone up and face the day....
3 comments:
Today I am working on the 3 hr FASD training I'm doing in March for the department of corrections professionals in our area. That quote is perfect! Permission to use it?? Please?? :-)
~Kari
Sure. Just say "a friend of mine has a son." He doesn't really enjoy having me share much about his life.
that's very nearly the same words Judge Wartnik gave me when I discussed legal guardianship for these kids. Without it - they have noone to explain what is going on and they are truly overwhelmed and lost. Not only explain to the child but to the professionals working with them.
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