broken by the system

small victories big setbacks

Every time it felt like I was making progress, the system threw another obstacle in my way. One day, I would hear good news—maybe the judge was considering my efforts or there was a chance for extended visitation. But then, something would happen to throw everything off course. Another delay, another hearing pushed back. It was like the system didn’t want to let go, didn’t want to admit that I was doing everything right.One of the small victories was when I was allowed an extra hour of visitation. It was something I had fought for, and it felt like a win. That extra time with my children meant the world to me. But as soon as I celebrated that victory, another blow would come. A new allegation, a new requirement I had to meet before reunification could even be discussed.It felt like I was constantly climbing a mountain, only to be pushed back down every time I got close to the top. But even in the setbacks, I found strength. Every victory, no matter how small, reminded me that I was still in this fight. I wasn’t giving up, and I wasn’t letting the system break me. They could throw as many obstacles in my way as they wanted, but I was going to keep climbing that mountain until I reached the top and brought my children home.