broken by the system

children's pain

While I was fighting my own battles, my children were fighting theirs too. Being separated from their mother and each other was taking its toll on them. I could see it in their faces during our visits—the sadness, the confusion, the fear. They didn’t understand why this was happening to them. They didn’t understand why the people who were supposed to protect them were keeping them from their family.Peyton was becoming more withdrawn. He had always been my energetic, joyful child, but now he seemed quieter, more reserved. He didn’t talk as much during visits, and when he did, it was often about when he could come home. He wanted answers, and I didn’t have them. Andre, my sensitive boy, was struggling too. He had always been in tune with the emotions of those around him, and now, without the comfort of his family, he was shutting down. Dominic asked questions that I couldn’t answer—why were we being kept apart? When would this nightmare end?Lillyanna, my youngest, was growing up without her brothers and me by her side. It hurt to think about the moments I was missing—her laughter, her first words, her growth. The pain my children were feeling weighed heavily on me, and I knew that I needed to fight even harder to bring them home.