We learn as we grow, or perhaps we grow as we learn. I think, this whole ordeal has made me a better person. When I moved here in April all I could think about was this house. The house is huge with at least nine rooms it in. We were living the American dream. Our income was over 100,000 a year and we could buy pretty much whatever we wanted. I recall thinking about how much fun it was going to be to decorate the house. I had my office picked out, girls picked their rooms out, Rodeo and Sadie had their play space. We were doing better than ever. I think I even posted about it.

Then the 16th of April hit. This was my first day reporting to my new job. Something alarmed my spirit, but I didn’t know what it was. I could feel in my heart that this would not be the place for me, at least job wise. Everything felt off and there was nothing I could do to make it better. My first night as a worker in the new region, I was briefed about an immediate assist and sent off to remove two children. The problem about this order was that there was a grandmother who lived hours away who wanted to take her grandchildren. These kids didn’t need to be removed. Once children enter state custody it is very hard for parents to get them out for at least a year. Anything over a year can and often goes into termination. This young mother had some issues, but there was another option.

I had the cop in one ear asking were we really going to remove the children for this? She was clearly upset that it was even an option because again there was another clear option. Then I had my boss in another ear talking about remove. She even joked about being the Remove Queen. I found it kind of sad to be honest. How many of those removals needed to be removals? She let it slip that she would staff with certain PD’s to get her removals approved, because there were often sensible ones who would say no.  I informed her that there had to be another way of handling the situation, so I found one. I begged another family member to step in. And I do mean begged. I followed the lady around like a puppy dog talking her ear off until she agreed. I’m kind of good at that.

I might not be working for the department anymore, but I feel clean again. With these post I can help people and maybe even find new ways of helping people, but I’ll never be used as a weapon to hurt people.