Time is of the essence

When you are waiting for something it always take to long.

I found out that fact the hard way as I was waiting for my older son to get his neuropsychiatric evaluation. The line for the evaluation was so long social services decided I was a bad parent (since he had such an odd behavior) and decided to take my 3 kids into custody.

It was by far the most painful thing that ever happened to me but I decided to fight. After a year my son finally got his diagnose, high functioning Autism + ADHD. The middle child gets diagnosed with Atypical Autism.

Did they return the kids?

No....I had 2 more years of fighting in and out of court until I finally got my kids back.

Now with the diagnoses that was the reason for not returning them, I could not possibly deal with two so disabled kids and a young one on top.

During their time in foster care the children learned about physical and mental abuse. They learned that adults could not be trusted and that no one listens to them.

During these years I was a big hole. I was empty on the inside and my life had no meaning. All that mattered was the little time I had to spend with my kids.

Pattern....?

Had to fill my days with something that mattered so I started a charity that helped parents in the same situation with emotional support and legal advise.

I studied law day and night, I answered phone calls from parents that felt totally broken. Handled their anger and frustration and talked a lot of people out of both suicide and murder.

I worked every second I didn't spend with my kids or in the car on my way to them or from them...well....no...I worked then to. The phone could ring at any time of the day or the night.

I met with politicians and media.

Wrote legal documents and appeals. Wrote motions to get the law changed or the system to change the treatment of our young.

I was requested to review new suggestions on changing the legislation.

I did make some progress but no one can work non stop forever, I crashed and burned and had to cut down my workload from 700 cases to 350.

Still wasn't enough so I cut down to 200. The other girls I had to help couldn't cope with the extra cases and quit one by one (they had about 10 cases each). Finally I couldn't continue so I left the charity.

The remaining girls (and one boy) decided to end the charity.

20 of those cases called me and asked for continued help, today only 2 remains. 1 of them is almost resolved and one is due for court soon.

Now things are better. I have started to get the kids back on the right track....but its hard.

People call me superwoman....partly cause I need to always get as good as I can no matter what I do....but mostly cause I go on and on without asking for help. I refuse to give up, no matter how hard it gets.

And I´m still standing....