Birth Mother

GB's Birth Mother is homeless. Again. GB is struggling with a lot of feeling she doesn't understand and can't find words for. Again.


She was suppose to go to her grandparents to bake Christmas cookies and enjoy a spaghetti dinner on Monday. Her grandmother called shortly before the girls came home to tell me BM had been evicted for non-payment of rent. She was at her father's house, along with GB's half-sibling and her brother. I could hear the ruckus in the background. There was no way GB was going into the middle of that.


As I waited for the bus to come, I searched for words. Again. There were none. Nothing was going to change how GB felt about this long anticipated visit being cancelled.


As the girls got off the bus, GB was bouncing with excitement. "Where's Grandma?" I told her Grandma wouldn't be coming. Instantly her eyes filled with tears. "Why not?" I mentally ran through possibilities. BM was spending her rent money for drugs. BM was caught stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from a family member. Social Services denied her any assistance for a one year period because of fraud.


When I spoke, all that came out was BM was homeless and a lot of people were upset. GB's face showed nothing. "I hate BM. I don't know why everybody gets upset. BM is always homeless."


I hate to see my child in pain. There is nothing I can do but be there and listen if she wants to talk.