Thursday, November 18, 2004
forever and ever
Today the judge asked The Wife and I if we thought that it was in The Boy's best interest to remain placed in our home.
"Absolutely." I instantly answered.
The judge asked The Wife and I if we agreed to keep and love The Boy "forever and ever". We glanced quickly at each other held back giggles at the almost childish sound of those words.
"forever and ever" sounds like an affirmation of love in middle school, like it should be written with different colored pens on an elaborately folded and discretely passed piece of notebook paper.
We were somewhat surprised at the complete lack of "legalese" in the question.
It took no time at all to answer, "Yes!"
In less than ten minutes, less than the time it took to complete one of the many forms, it was over. The judge signed the papers, posed for some photographs, and that was it.
The Wife and I are now one hundred percent officially and legally the parents of The Boy!
Tonight, as I write this, a relaxed exhaustion wraps itself around me.
Were it not for the deep exhileration and profound sense of joy it would almost seem anti-climactic for our labors of the past year and a half or so to end so easily and suddenly.
The first chapter in this story has come to the happiest of ends.
_______________
Tomorrow morning the second chapter begins.
The saga of Ms. von Munchausen continues as she has another appearance before a judge in the form of a trial to determine if she will be allowed to maintain contact with one of her former children.
Like always, I will be there, calmly smiling in the back of the courtroom, taking notes. Only now, there is a difference. . .
Since the placement of The Boy last March, The Wife and I have done a whole lot of biting our tongues and simply smiling and nodding. Until this afternoon, The State retained custody and conservatorship of The Boy. Basically, we kept our mouths shut because we could not risk pissing somebody off and give The State cause to rethink their placement decision. We have watched and waited patiently for the past eight months because we did not have the legal standing to do otherwise.
Today that changed. The Boy is ours. Only ours. I have a receipt. (Yes. A receipt. In addition to the various legal documents they gave us a receipt. I thought it odd, it's not like we can return him if he doesn't match our decor.)
Tomorrow I sit in the back of the courtroom as the parent of one of one of Ms. von Munchausen's victims.
I will be silent no longer. It's time to speak up and act out.
Would you, my dear reader, act any differently if someone had systematically abused and neglected your child over a two year period? Damn straight you wouldn't.
_______________
But that's tomorrow.
Right now, I shall go check on my sleeping child one last time before I go to bed and join him and The Wife in the land of dreams.
I have no doubt that tonight I will pause longer than is usual and just spend a moment looking at The Boy, Our Boy, as he sleeps.
As I do so, I will no doubt repeat the familiar refrain:
All for the love of The Boy.
|
"Absolutely." I instantly answered.
The judge asked The Wife and I if we agreed to keep and love The Boy "forever and ever". We glanced quickly at each other held back giggles at the almost childish sound of those words.
"forever and ever" sounds like an affirmation of love in middle school, like it should be written with different colored pens on an elaborately folded and discretely passed piece of notebook paper.
We were somewhat surprised at the complete lack of "legalese" in the question.
It took no time at all to answer, "Yes!"
In less than ten minutes, less than the time it took to complete one of the many forms, it was over. The judge signed the papers, posed for some photographs, and that was it.
The Wife and I are now one hundred percent officially and legally the parents of The Boy!
Tonight, as I write this, a relaxed exhaustion wraps itself around me.
Were it not for the deep exhileration and profound sense of joy it would almost seem anti-climactic for our labors of the past year and a half or so to end so easily and suddenly.
The first chapter in this story has come to the happiest of ends.
_______________
Tomorrow morning the second chapter begins.
The saga of Ms. von Munchausen continues as she has another appearance before a judge in the form of a trial to determine if she will be allowed to maintain contact with one of her former children.
Like always, I will be there, calmly smiling in the back of the courtroom, taking notes. Only now, there is a difference. . .
Since the placement of The Boy last March, The Wife and I have done a whole lot of biting our tongues and simply smiling and nodding. Until this afternoon, The State retained custody and conservatorship of The Boy. Basically, we kept our mouths shut because we could not risk pissing somebody off and give The State cause to rethink their placement decision. We have watched and waited patiently for the past eight months because we did not have the legal standing to do otherwise.
Today that changed. The Boy is ours. Only ours. I have a receipt. (Yes. A receipt. In addition to the various legal documents they gave us a receipt. I thought it odd, it's not like we can return him if he doesn't match our decor.)
Tomorrow I sit in the back of the courtroom as the parent of one of one of Ms. von Munchausen's victims.
I will be silent no longer. It's time to speak up and act out.
Would you, my dear reader, act any differently if someone had systematically abused and neglected your child over a two year period? Damn straight you wouldn't.
_______________
But that's tomorrow.
Right now, I shall go check on my sleeping child one last time before I go to bed and join him and The Wife in the land of dreams.
I have no doubt that tonight I will pause longer than is usual and just spend a moment looking at The Boy, Our Boy, as he sleeps.
As I do so, I will no doubt repeat the familiar refrain:
All for the love of The Boy.
|
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