Letter to My Children (December 16, 2017)
On my mother's birthday, your newest little nephew was born. An absolutely peaceful and precious birth attended by two of your sisters old, faithful friends, Katy and Abby Case (now Hollands and Taylor). It is quite a story, which I hope you will call your sister to let her tell you. Anyway, I texted you all that night and hoped you would respond. I waited. But nothing.
Anyway, the arrival of little man, and attending old friends dropping everything to come and spend the day with Gretel, while Kyle was wrapping up work at Ft. Drum and then making the drive down—caused me to reflect on how wonderful the Case family has been through this whole nightmare 6 years (on Christmas Day). Without you all.
Remember how the Cases came to visit us in Virginia? And when I was put out, Sydney was right there, even spending nights so I wouldn’t be alone. And Dan talking to Dad about how wrong it was to do this, so kindly and firmly. Always being a friend to Dad and me, although we did not attend his church. (Dan pastors a little Baptist church nearby our hometown.) Always available to visit at our home as often as we needed his company.
Abby flew down to attend a court case with me and tried to talk to you children. Later, Sydney flew down too, babysat Noah so Gretel and I could spend time alone and talk, and then despite not feeling well, attended a court case and tried to talk to you kids also. Later on, Katy and Jason came down with baby Elijah, to talk with you Jonathan, for quite awhile, I will always be in their debt for that effort, when Jason did not even know you, but Katy encouraged him to try. Danny showed me how to do my blog, and still helps me when I can't figure out this dumb computer. Jenny, drove down with Danny and your cousin Jacquelyn to meet with you Sarah, and try to show you how wrong this is. While Danny met across the street with Joshua, at our deacon Waleed's pizza shop in Cascades. How good Danny was to meet alone with you Josh, and Waleed right there, a bit intimidating going to try and reason with a deacon, but Danny did it because you were his old friend. And Danny, being a pastors son himself, knew wrong from right. And what Calvary Temple has told you to do is wrong.
And finally, there are the calls, texts, Facebooking, letters on the blog that they have written to you over these past six years. Never doubting that one day you will read the notes, and come to your senses and come home. Interesting isn’t it, that even though Dan is a pastor and Sydney a pastor's wife, and Dad and I are not part of their local church—Sydney (with Dan's blessing) still came down with Danny last year, and stood on the roadside outside of Calvary Temple and held up signs from me, begging you children to talk to your mom, dad, sister. Come home.
Yes, this little baby boy's birth, so sweet and peaceful — with two of our faithful friends, made me incredibly grateful for this wonderful family up here in Perry. Don’t know what I would have done without them. And by the way kids, did you know that Pastor Ron Zarou considered Sydney to be a threat to his control over me, and he told dad to monitor our friendship. (You recall it was Pastor Ron Zarou who was counseling dad for Pastor Scott, to put me away. ) Oh well, she is a godly woman, so I suppose she would make a bad guy nervous.
God bless and keep you all my children. I love you, and soon we will be together.
Xoxoxo,
Your mom
