Archive for July 10th, 2010
Dr. Dixie van de Flier Davis
Some Old Notes
As happens every year at about this time, I have been doing some cleaning up in my office. There are notes on pieces of paper in every size and color. Some have bright yellow highlight to remind me of things I must do. I see the phone number of a retired colleague that I’d like to stay in touch with. And I found a punch line for what was probably a good joke.
There is a stack of stuff that needs immediate attention (so why does it get bigger and not smaller?). And a stack of stuff that might come in useful.
Some notes are well organized. Most aren’t.
As I file things away, I come across a provocative item from another year. Tucked away in a binder, it stopped me in my tracks today. It is a sort of diary on half a page, with two dated entries. The first is rather descriptive. The other – well, it’s short.
Foster parents heard The Adoption Exchange was having an adoption party. So instead of sending Jeremye with his caseworker, they brought their foster son to the party themselves.
We hadn’t known eight-year-old Jeremye was coming to the party. But there he was!
“We want to find someone who will take Jeremye home and adopt him. He’s a good kid. If we could get him on Oprah, I’m sure he’d have a family just like that!” Jeremye’s foster dad snapped his fingers to make his point.
The foster parents exchanged phone numbers with all interested persons, invited them over to visit, and clearly meant business.
As they were leaving the party I watched Jeremye turn to his foster mom and say, “How’d I do? Did I do okay today?”
Oh, I want that little party crasher to have a chance! I want him to have a family.
Caseworkers quit trying for Jeremye.
Quit trying?! That couldn’t happen today, could it? Somebody please tell me that wouldn’t – couldn’t – happen in 2010.
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