Thursday, May 13, 2010

FROM A STUDENT

Grading memoirs today and ran across this 14 year old girl's piece.  Here is part of it:

We had listened to them fighting.  I was in my room, hiding, scared.  My brother came and got me.  We ran into his bed room, and closed the door noiselessly.  We turned on his TV with the volume up loud, but that only muffled the sound of our parents fighting.  I sat down on the wooden ladder, staring at the door knob, waiting for something to happen that would make this all disappear.  The noise finally stopped, the door knob turned.  I ran to my dad and hugged him.  He said we needed to talk.  We took a ride in his truck with its blackish purplish color that I so much adored. 
The divorce all happened at once.  The word we didn't understand had the power to tare a family apart.  The tears ran down my face like rain.  This memory haunts me.  It is truly the one thing I can remember from my childhood.
A reminder to me today.  This is part of my calling- to do whatever I can to bring the healing power of Jesus to hurting marriages.

ANOTHER ONE-  She writes:
...This went on and finally my dad told me about my mom cheating on him.  She did it when I wasn't around for her to look after.  I knew that if I didn't leave the house, she would have to stop so that's what I did.  My dad had told me that he was going to leave if she didn't stop.  I made this my new goal, not to let him leave again.  To do this I first had to stop her from going out which meant I couldn't go out and that's exactly what I did for five years.  I stayed inside every single day and night so she had no chance of leaving.  It worked.  She didn't leave the house.  Instead my mom decided she was leaving this time and she was taking me with her.  This made me sadder than ever.  I had to leave my house and all of my friends and go somewhere I hated.  All for some stupid reason. 
Today, I am with my mom still unfortunately.  I hardly ever see my dad anymore, but that's okay because I would rather have nothing to do with either of them than something to do with both of them.

2 comments:

Angela said...

tears on my cheeks. hurting for this stranger to me that represents the world to me.
Thank you for being a positive presence in her life, Erin.

amberly said...

i ache with you for those kiddos.

and i'm glad for the grace to them through you (a hopeful, peaceful presence pointing to Jesus), and for the grace to you through them (further assurance and resolve to fight for marriages)...

Simile Metaphor Collection

Elijah after running: My heart is beating like a coconut rolling down a hill.
Elijah on urination: Pee is like horses galloping out of the gate. Once they get started you just can't stop them.
Elijah: If school were a human I'd give it a wedgie.
Elijah: I am like a hot rod and I just want to be a plain old Ford
Elijah on the fruits of the spirit: I've got them all covered except self-control. Its like a tiny green tomato and the rest are all big ripe ones. Especially love. Its like the biggest tomato we saw in the garden tonight.