When I was little I used to ask my mom "Why won't the judge meet with us?" and "Why won't he listen to us?" Our young mother, desperate to protect us promised that someday a judge would listen to us. She kept her promise years later in a foreign country when a judicial tribunal in Holland insisted on hearing what my brother and I had to say.
Now again my mother has made good on her promise to have our voices heard with the recent release of an amazing documentary by Garland Waller and Barry Nolan No Way Out But One.
I just want to thank Garland and Barry and most of all I want to thank our Mom!
Oh my goodness! What a wonderful blog <3 I am currently writing a research paper for my Comp II class in college and came across the No Way Out But One website. My topic is A Child's Voice in Family Court. This is very close to my heart, as I had an abusive father who had physical custody of us.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, our mother fled without us to Alaska from Missouri. And although we had some contact with her, it was very infrequent. I think, as a woman, having a loving mother is essential. Eventually she got to see us every summer. However, this contact was not enough, she didn't fight as hard as your mother.
I did have a wonderful stepmother who I still talk with to this day (she had 2 children with my abusive father). They are divorced now. Thank the Lord.
I just want to say that I will definitely be putting your story in my research paper <3 Maybe I can even send you the final draft as well!
Anyway, I just want to tell your mother that she is the strongest, most courageous mother I have ever seen! I wish I had been given a second chance and that my mother had protected me like that. I am 20 now and still coping with the emotional scars. I am growing more confident EVERY DAY :)
As for the kids. You are so blessed to have a mother who would die for you, and who gave everything up to protect you <3 You all have a place in my heart now.
I have an older woman friend who has 2 kids and is going through the same thing I lived through. Her case manager is not good, she barely sees her kids, and has been labeled as emotionally unstable even though she is a normal, loving mother. It is nice to see that I, and so many others, aren't the only ones who have had to deal with the messed up court system.
I wish you all the best and I hope you get this documentary to as many people as possible!! I highly recommend you make the YouTube video public, i'm sure you'd get many positive responses!
Again, I admire each and every one of you for your spirit and heart.
Love,
B.