Against every ounce of intuition and mom gut I have, I left my baby with you again this morning. I left her with you after you failed us. I have no choice, I have no time off and I have nowhere else to take my child. Your facility is touted as one of the best in our city but yet the unthinkable happened last Friday.
Last Friday when I saw the center number on my caller id my heart stopped, as I answered the phone my mom intuition told me the other side was going to tell me my baby was hurt. I answered and I was told you, her teacher, had stepped away from her for just a moment while she was on the changing table. I was told in that moment my baby flipped off the table falling more than four feet to the hard tile floor, landing on her head.
I rushed to get her, crying and praying the entire way. I called the pediatrician, the doctor’s office took this fall very seriously and assured us we needed to come in as soon as we could. She was checked out and other than a knot on her head she appeared fine. We were told to watch for more serious symptoms but all in all she was likely going to be just fine.
You see, your moment of misjudgment could have forever changed our life. Your moment of misjudgment could have ended my daughter’s life, or you could have forever changed her quality of life—head injuries are NEVER to be taken lightly.
My family has already been through this type tragedy before.
Something you don’t know, nine years ago my father-in-law woke in the middle of the night thirsty, he made his way in the dark to the kitchen and grabbed a drink. In the dark, in an old house with uneven floors, and in his sleepy middle of the night state, he lost his footing and he fell in his kitchen, hitting his head on the stove as he went down. He seemed fine, just as you said my baby seemed fine—once she stopped crying.
My father-in-law later had breakfast, he watched TV with his wife, he called my husband to tell his son he fell in the kitchen in the middle of the night, but all was well. Later that day my father-in-law suddenly lost his speech, later that day he had seizure, later that day my he died from a brain bleed that was slowly occurring from his fall.
So you see a fall is not always just a small bump on the head, we know first-hand when someone falls on their head a family can forever change.
My baby fell from a four foot counter to a concrete tile floor on her head. After Friday I never wanted to leave her in your care again, I wanted to quit my job and never let my baby out of my sight, but life isn’t that easy. I need to work to help support my family, we have no village, no retired parents to help us—I have no other option than to send her back to you today, and tomorrow, and the next.
Today as I walked in to hand my baby over to your care I wanted to scream at you for your mistake, when I walked in I wanted to cry and tell you how much anxiety and fear your misjudgment caused my family for a night watching our baby for any sign of what we knew could happen, any sign of what did happen in our family once before.
Today I wanted to show my flesh but instead I showed grace. I walked in and I said, “Good Morning.” I smiled and hugged my baby and I left her in your care.
When I arrived back to the parking lot I prayed, I prayed for you to care for my child and all the children in your class as if they were your own. I prayed for Jesus to keep my baby safe. I prayed for you to understand the weight of your job. I can see you are young, in college, and likely you are working to make your way through school, but I prayed you see the depth of the responsibility you have to those babies, to the families you could forever change with the smallest misstep, and I prayed that you would safeguard all of the children close to your heart.
When I leave my child with you I am leaving an extension of my heart, I am leaving the joy I experience every morning when I wake my baby and she cheerily says, “Mama.” I am leaving you the love I feel as I hold her close to me. When I leave her in your care I am leaving a piece of me, a piece of me that if taken away I would never be able to live the same. Please take care of my girl, please keep her safe, please make the right choices. I know it can be chaotic, I can’t imagine being a young women your age caring for babies all day. It takes a gentle heart, a sharp mind, and a selfless love to do what you do everyday. I pray God grants you those qualities and I pray everyday for the safety of all children who are in the care of others while their parents are away.
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