I heard my toddler cry out in the middle of the night and ran to him. I found him standing at the gate to his bedroom door, scooped him up and told him what I’ve told both kids every time they wake up and are afraid.
“I’m here. It’s ok. I save you. I always save you.”
I started saying this because it felt right. I knew they were afraid of some perceived danger and they needed someone to rescue them. The day I had them I made a promise that I would always be that someone.
My daughter woke up 10 minutes later and came running in. My children are not good sleepers and never have been. You won’t find any bedtime advice here. Most of the time they sleep in our bed and kick us randomly throughout the night. But, odd as it sounds, I’m okay with that.
I’ve always subscribed to the idea that if my children are upset, I comfort them. If my children are sad, I comfort them. If my children are afraid, I comfort them.
It’s my job. I’m the mom. I know that, without a doubt, I would protect them with my entire body if needs be.
As I laid there in bed, with my babies in my arms, I wondered and worried about those babies in Texas who don’t have their mommies to save them.
My stomach has been sick since first hearing about all the children the government is corralling in their modern day concentration camps. My heart has been broken and I’ve always found it amazing how much a heart can still ache when it’s in pieces.
The idealism I’ve always believed in – the Land of the Free, the Home of the Brave, the American Dream, the New World, the Land of Opportunity, the Melting Pot – and the belief that this country was a place people could aspire to, was gone.
To be fair there have been plenty of times since November 2016 that I have felt embarrassed and ashamed. However, until now, it’s just been about the government and the behavior that it’s inciting.
This act though – separating children from their parents and putting them into cages filled to the brim with other children, where the lights are left on 24 hours a day and portable rest rooms are used – this is a scar on the humanity of everything I once thought was beautiful about the United States. It’s crushing in a way that makes your soul ache.
But still, I’m not the one going through it. I’m just watching in horror from the sidelines.
I wonder if those babies are crying. I know the answer is yes.
I wonder if those babies are afraid. I know the answer is absolutely.
I wonder who helps to ease their fears. I know the answer is no one.
I wonder if they have any idea what’s happening to them or where their parents are. I know the answer is likely, no.
I know there is no one there to advocate for them because they’ve been introduced into a broken and cruel system that doesn’t see them as innocent children but instead looks in their sad eyes and sees them as the country’s “future criminals.”
I wonder about their mothers too.
This week is the seventh anniversary of the death of my first son. Being a mother who has lost a child, I know something about the pain they’re in. But, I have to say, their situation is worse.
As much as it killed me, I knew that after my son had died, no more pain could come to him. He was separated from me but I knew no one could hurt him. I knew where he was. I knew where I could go to feel him and cry over him. I also knew I could attempt to go forward because he was never coming back.
But this, the slightest thought over what these mothers are going through reduces me to tears. I can’t comprehend knowing that my child is out there but in a place I can’t go because I’m being restrained by people who look at me hatefully.
The hope these people had for making a new life in a safer world was completely demolished by our government. These immigrants were already running from atrocities and somehow ended up right in a brutal new one in a place that was once a shining beacon for explorers and immigrants alike.
The very thought of what they’re going through makes me physically sick.
I know exactly what they’re wondering though.
Are their kids alive? More than likely, yes.
Are they safe? Probably not. They’re in a ripe for position for abuse and human trafficking.
Has someone hurt them? Yes, it was us. The people of the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. We’ve now damaged them emotionally and psychologically for life.
When they wake up in the middle of the night, afraid, and cry out who is there to scoop them up and save them?
I know the answer is no one.
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Thank you for sharing this .. Tears in my eyes… My heart aches. I so applaud your stand and empathy. I’m sharing this across all our platforms over at Raising World Children.
Thank you so much. Hopefully we can work together to end this.
OMG, I can’t believe what is happening in our country. Every day, it looks a little more horrible than it did the day before.
How about the children left home without a parent because they went to jail for a crime? should the child go into jail with them? bet the kids your talking about were never better fed. the Parent caused this problem for their kids…should never have broken the law.
I am someone who exists only because my ancestors were saved from the brutal horrors of concentration camps. My heart has been in shambles since learning about this nightmare and my moral compass is screaming for it to stop. Only a monster would condone or attempt to justify such actions.
Wow I haven’t heard about this. This is terrifying. I definitely need to learn more. No child should be separated from their child. My goodness especially in a American we are the free world.
It kills me. I can’t believe this is happening those poor babies. It doesn’t seem right at all. Why can’t they all stay together? I hate that our government condones and allows this.
This saddens me so much!!
I am so broken over this news. There is no reason this had to happen. As the reply above me says, in America we are a free world. There is no way this can be allowed to continue.
More people need to be talking about this. I am so proud that you are sharing this with us and on your Facebook feed. You’re inspiring me to get involved and get out there to do what is right.
I am so sick over this and feel so helpless. I’ve donated and signed every petition I can, and just wish someone powerful will step up to this! How is this happening!
I have such mixed emotions with the entire situation. As a mother, I can’t even comprehend the idea of being separated from my boys like this. Or the thought of them being in this situation. I haven’t read much about it all, but from what I’ve heard, there has been a Zero Tolerance policy for a few months now, so that was known when these parents tried to come here. Do I think it’s being handled properly? Absolutely 100% not. But I know there are laws and rules for a reason as well. Obviously, the children are the ones suffering the most because they had no choice or say in the matter.
Thanks for sharing this. It rugs at my heart strings. Great post
My stomach has been in knots over this tragedy. I just can’t believe it. It’s barbaric!
I think about these children all the time – their situation haunts me. What our government is doing now is inexcusable and I can’t wait for the people in charge to be put in jail for human rights violations. This is not a partisan issue. THESE ARE CHILDREN.
I’m amazed at what’s going on and it seems every day is worse. then the day before. Hopefully, this is the flashpoint that will turn things around for the better for everyone.
This is such a sad news. Now I am wondering about the safety of those children I know and I am 100% sure that they are not but I hope someone in a good mind and a good heart will help them in this kind of situation.
I didn’t know about this before reading the posts. Makes me want to grab my babies and squeeze them close to me.
My heart breaks for these families and especially for the children that don’t have a say in the matter at all. I am glad this knowledge is slowly starting to spread and become mainstream knowledge resulting in petitions and maybe possibly a change!
Beautifully written and it brought tears in my eyes; it’s hard not to cry. Our society is failing them that’s all I can think. Bank you for sharing
It’s exhausting to me how many people are doing nothing. All these stories could be prevented and yet nothing is happening.
This is so sad. Thank you for sharing this and bringing it to people’s attention. We need to do what we can
I am tearing up as I am reading your post. I can’t imagine the pain of the parents, the distress of the children. This is so sad and heartbreaking.
As a parent, it is hard to watch children suffer when you think about how it would feel to see your own in that situation. I am very thankful to have been born and raised in the U.S.A. that is for sure.
This is so, so very sad. I dont understand it all. I need to read up and see how to help. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
This is such a heartbreaking situation with so many emotions involved. There are bad pieces to every equation but what is happening is just horrible.
The world we live in sure has its issues. I pray for all the suffering families.
Children are like fragile flowers and need to be handled with care and showered with love. It is so sad that children have to bear the brunt of such atrocities. Hope better sense prevails and things work out for the better.
I’m still in shock that this is happening here. In this “modern country” the leader of the free world. I’m appalled at the atrocities being done in the name of “Make america great again”. We’re moving backwards not forwards 🙁
There’s a certain inhumane way about how the government has decided to go about this…
I came to the USA , just as these illegal immigrants,, at the age of 3 yrs old. I was so scared not knowing anyone but my mom, grandma, and older brother, I didn’t know the language or anything… it was foreign to me… I clung on to my mother like glue, afraid of separation because my father and other family had disappeared from my life and I didn’t know why… While my situation isn’t exactly the same, I feel like I can relate to a certain degree with how these children feel, it’s heartbreaking and fearful. I hope after all of this trauma they’re putting the kids in that they offer counseling to each and every single one of them because they’ll need it!!!
Hey Gov. let’s find a better solution, shall we?!!!
so sad!
So what is the viable solution? As I see it we have 3 choices but enlighten me if you know of one I don’t list.
1.) Open boarders. The complete decriminalization of crossing our boarders will keep children with their parents and allow for EVERY child to have equal protection under the law as soon as they hit American soil. That is currently not the case and never has been.
2.) Build a wall and make security so perfectly tight that it discourages parents with children from even trying to illegally cross our boarders.
3.) Increase the size of CPS by 1000% to assure each and every child is represented by a case worker as soon as they hit American soil to ensure their safety. Sex traffickers have ruined it for all of the “good illegal immigrants” We must be protecting children and not aiding in sex trafficking as we have done and as we are most certainly still doing.