While living in Colorado, my daughter Amanda, who was then in the 5th grade, dropped a bombshell on me. Her father and I had divorced and both remarried. She asked me if she could go live with her dad for “just a year” and go to school in Birmingham with her stepsisters, who were both near her age. She normally spent an average of six to eight weeks in the summer with her “other” family. I told her definitely not for selfish reasons.
I couldn’t stand the thought of her being away from me that long. It was so unfair that I should have to make the sacrifice, especially since “they” would have a family of four and she was my only child. Amanda always wanted brothers and sisters and, being from a large family myself, I could relate. But most of all, I was scared to death that she wouldn’t want to come back after the year ended. She dropped the subject, knowing it upset me.
However, the next year she asked again. She was getting ready to move up to the 7th grade in a new school. Once again, I struggled with it, but God was working on me to trust that it would be okay. If I kept putting it off, I knew she’d keep asking. She begged and promised that it would only be for one year and she would come home for Christmas, call, and write in between. I finally relented.
Although there were times it was extremely hard, my job kept me busy, and my new husband Mark enjoyed having more of my time for him. Amanda and I kept in touch constantly during the year. In May, she came back and resumed life with us as though she’d never been gone. I learned to trust, and she kept her promise, and thanks to God, we all survived the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment