Oil and water don’t mix, neither do selfishness and parenthood. I am amazed at Joy and all that she does. I’ve never had a cleaner pillowcase in all my life, she does the wash perfectly twice a week. I never worry about dirt, germs or anything unwanted staying around longer than 2 hours. She is a great example of selflessness. I was amazed at this article today.
Sometime around the spring of 2005, a homeless single mother in Oakland, Calif., posted an advertisement on Craigslist trying to give away her 3-year-old daughter….
Esperanza seemed to be at her wits’ end at the time. Elizabeth House staff recalled that she would yell and scream at the toddler, ignore A.J. for lengthy periods of time, and talk of getting rid of A.J. and heading to Italy. Esperanza’s grandmother, Nona W., was worried enough to repeatedly call the Department of Children and Family Services in Alameda County (which includes Oakland), to no avail.
An evaluation by a child psychologist that year concluded: “Her behaviors suggest that she places her needs before that of her daughter. She expects her daughter’s sleep and feeding routine to accommodate to her adult lifestyle. Her disciplining methods appear to be harsh. Also, she expects a level of independence in her daughter which she may be incapable of at her age.”
I wanted to give a big thank you to all you mothers out there who do a great job worrying, cleaning, protecting and nurturing. God bless you.