Let Them Be Little

The call came as I was wandering the canned foods section of the grocery store in my pajamas. 'Of course! Stupid Murphy's law.' I thought to myself. I had fifteen minutes to be heading to the scene, which meant a rushed check-out, a scrambled change, and I had to leave the groceries in the trunk as I sped to the meeting spot. Miraculously I made it with two minutes to spare, and we were off. The call was about ten minutes north of us, so we hopped on the freeway and collaborated on what we knew from dispatch. Usually we have a good idea of what is happening on scene before we get there, but this time the only warning was "It's a child". My heart sunk, and the car was quiet as we pulled up to the house. 

After talking with the two officers on scene and one of the women involved, we finally had the full story: a mom with three boys ranging in ages from 4-8 picked up a homeless woman she didn't know (who admittedly was manic depressive, bipolar and off her medication), drove her back to her home, shared drugs with her, and then left her boys with this woman while she went to the bar to score more. The water bill had not been paid, so no running water in the house, toilets were backed up and there was no drinking water. The police were contacted when the homeless woman called a mental hospital threatening to commit suicide out of frustration with the children, undoubtedly in part to her being off her meds. When police arrived there was a crack pipe on the kitchen table, cocaine and marijuana on the shelves. We were called because the police needed advice on what to do with this homeless woman. We made our recommendation and she was removed from the scene, and we went inside to provide backup for Child Protective Services.

We entered the home and saw the three boys on the couch, and each was reacting so differently to the chaotic situation. The youngest was 4, his name was 'Josh' (name changed), was leaping from couch to couch, running laps around the house, and tugging on the police officer's leg. The 6 year old, 'Sam', was sitting up and watching us all carefully, but saying nothing. 'Nathan', the 8 year old, was burrowed under his blanket like a turtle peeking out of it's shell, trying valiantly to keep his attention on the TV. The CPS agent attempted to talk to the mother in the kitchen, but the children were so rambunctious that it became impossible to hear each other. I slipped back into the living room with the children, and quickly tried to engage them and draw some boundaries to allow the interview to continue. I found myself laughing despite the horrid situation as these sweet boys talked and played with me. I had to work to engage Sam, and Nathan was warming up to me slowly but surely as I asked them their favorite movies. and Josh, while they narrated, was acting it out with a confidence unmatched. 

Most clear to me was how these boys CRAVED attention and praise. As I would instruct them and praise them for obeying, their loving little faces would light up as they tried even harder to please me. Josh would get right in my face, smile big and flash his adorable dimples, tell me a joke and then sit back and wait to see my reaction. It warmed my heart even as it broke for these sweet angels who were being so neglected and forgotten. All they wanted was to make us laugh, to cuddle up and to be reassured. They deserved to be loved, and I ached to be able to hold them tight and tell them that. I left that night in tears at the thought of leaving them there and there was nothing I could do. My only comfort is knowing that Heavenly Father is looking out for them. My plea after seeing this heart-wrenching scene is that we all could cherish every moment with the little ones around us-Listen to their rambling stories, praise each good deed, and love them unconditionally. 

"Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:
 Please let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little"- Let Them Be Little

Let Them Be Little-Lonestar