I was in my kitchen today and as I crossed the floor to the mud room something caught my eye. Under my china closet is a box. In this box are various sizes of slippers.
It brought me back to a time, about 4 years ago when this house was alive with children! I had a young teenager named Em who had found me a few years before when she was eleven. She all but lived here. She loved the animals, loved being taught to cook and we had a great relationship.
Every afternoon I’d hear the middle school bus stop out front and a few moments the door would slide open and Em would arrive from school, carrying her book bag. She’d take off her boots, and get her slippers out of the box and get a drink and snack.
The rules were always the same. She had to do her homework, and then we worked making dinner together. During that time, she talked and talked and talked! And I loved it.
There was another young girl, Jacqui who often came with her. She had slippers here as well, and loved the doggies.
Later twin girls moved into our area. They were in kindergarten when they first got here and were tiny. Sarah and Kimmy had been preemies at birth and at 6 years old were still catching up with the height and weight. They also lived under stressful conditions, and often came here with out coats or even boots in the winter.
Yes, they had their slippers and sweaters to wear as well. During that time, with all four girls, the house was alive with laughter, projects and for me, a lot of happiness.
They are all gone now. The two older girls have moved far away. One is in Florida and the other Wyoming. The twins, well I do not know. Suddenly they were gone. I know DYS was watching over them, they may be in foster care.
I wish I lived closer to Savannah so I could do things like I did with the other girls. Maybe someday.
I left the box with the slippers under the china closet. In hopes that maybe someday, some neighborhood girls will find me. I love mentoring kids.