Sometimes It's Worthwhile

There's a lot of drudgery in our job. And then there's the great part.

We have befriended four sisters. I'll call them S, M, J and A. I can't put their names or pictures on the blog. The sisters are respectively 12, 10, 8 and 6. And they have just been adopted - by their great-aunt and -uncle! They are as nice a family as you would ever want to meet. But the sisters come from an abused background that makes you want to cry.

To make a long story short, the kids have two different fathers and a drug using mother. The oldest girl has a chest covered with burns she got when she was six. She was "watching" the two younger kids while the "mother was upstairs making A." She was playing with a lighter and set herself on fire.

The younger girls were treated badly, particularly when mom was high. Nobody seemed to want to step in, so great-aunt and -uncle B and J stepped in. They have been awarded custody by the court.

I can't use their names because their birth parents don't know where they are. Their adoptive parents and the kids are constantly stalked by the birth mother, so they come here to escape. No one knows where they are.They have a seasonal site, and the girls have the run of the place without worry.

These are four of the nicest kids you can imagine. They are very bright with great personalities. They are all A students. S - the oldest - is very shy and self-conscious - particularly about her burns. She took the worst of the abuse. M - the 10-year-old - has a very outgoing personality and is going to do very well in the world. J and A - the two little ones - are my "best friends" and they come running every time they see me.

How anyone could mistreat these kids is beyond me. There is no place in hell hot enough for them. And may there be a special place in heaven for B and J!

Judy and I are so glad we are able to help be a positive force in their lives. It really makes us feel needed and useful, and makes us appreciate how good we have it.