Faith

I wrote this a while ago, around Sept 09 to be exact but it's still relevant.

I realized something today... how lucky I am to have what I have. I know this woman... she's a single mother with a special needs teenager. Her daughter is about my daughter's age but the difference is tremendous! Her daughter has the mentality of a 7 year old. Aimel likes blues clues and adores Dora! You will often see her with her character backpack as happy as can be following right behind her mom. She loves to hug everyone and always has a smile on her face. I have known mom and daughter for about 5 years now and our friendship has evolved over time. I consider her a good friend now. This woman is amazing! She will help me without expecting anything in return and always offers me her unconditional friendship. Even when she's going through the most difficult times in her life, she remains strong and her faith and courage do not falter. Aimel recently had an accident at school. According to the school report, she tripped and fell face first while on a field trip. Mom was called instead of 911 and when mom arrived to see her daughter, she could not believe her eyes! Her front teeth were broken! Mom immediately took her to the ER. When mom questioned school personnel, all the school could tell her was that she was fine and the injury was not so bad. The incident report mom got from school was very basic and no where on it did it explain the complexity of the injury. They gave mom the run-a-round for quit some time especially when it came to getting treatment. Through some wonderful connections, mom was able to get a lawyer. She's not greedy and is not looking for a big payout, all she wants is for her daughter to get what she needs. In her 16 yers of life, Aimel has never had any dental care so as the dentist examined her recently, he found endless cavities and a cyst that needs to be removed, which means oral surgery. Did I mention that mom and daughter have no insurance nor do they qualify? I was there with mom to help her translate but more than that, I was there to support her. I know she felt scared and of course worried so I put on a strong front. I could see the worry in her eyes over this but mostly I witnessed the love a mother has for her child. What a gift for me to stand as a witness to this interaction. In her humble way, mom thanked me endlessly. No Naffy, it is I who has to thank you for being in my life. It is people and stories like her's that inspire me to continue doing my work even when I feel like I can't give anymore.

The story you just read may end here for you, but for this mother and daughter, their journey continues. We have a lot of work ahead of us. With mom's faith (she has enough for both of us) we will get through this. There have been so many angels in her path that only knowing the story could you come to a conclusion that there is something beyond what we can see and touch making things fall into place.
I want you to know a few convictions that I have come to...
We are lucky that we have what we have even if it feels like nothing. God puts people in our path because he wants us to help them, we help them but what they give and teach us in return is indescribable.
Las quiero mucho!!!
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