Remember a couple of weeks ago I posted about a client who lost her baby a couple hours after birth.. well to make this devastating situation even more heart-wrenching last week the coroner who preformed the baby’s autopsy was killed in a car accident. This obviously has complicated the process of obtaining the baby’s body for her funeral. I just can’t believe all that has happened in regards to this situation.. it’s just all so sad. A Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep photographer got some beautiful photos of the baby and I know her mother will cherish those for the rest of her life.
I am working on a case right now with two birthparents who are 16 years old. Long story short the mom called us from the hospital after giving birth and wanted to make an adoption plan for the baby. Since there is a lot of kinks to work out in the case before involving an adoptive family the baby was placed in interim care. Part of the ‘kinks’ was contacting the birthfather.. but with them both being high school students that was pretty easy.. he found out through friends who I believe found out on.. where else.. Facebook. He is not in agreement with the adoption plan and wants to parent the baby. I met with him and his family this morning – Monday morning at 9 a.m. – not my favorite meeting time but in this case certainly necessary. I became incredibly agitated early on in the meeting because he family kept speaking for him. I kept asking what his parenting plan would be, at 16 and still a sophomore in high school, and with each question I posed his family answered while he had this smart-alec grin on his face. The step-dad starting talking and I tried to explain that I really wanted to hear from the birthfather directly since he is technically the only one, besides the birthmother, with any legal rights to the child. Well I must have hit a nerve because he became very irritated and disrespectful towards me. I said, as nicely as possible, please calm down, there is no reason to be disrespectful. He stated [in a raised voice] that he was going to act how he wanted because the situation is bullsh*t and makes no sense. Then, it happened, (and I am SO proud of myself!) I told him to leave my office. I said, if you are going to continue to raise your voice and disrespect me then you can leave my office.. and he did.. and of course, as he was leaving he says, “I’ll see you in court.” Right, okay, sounds good, because you can sue me for telling you to leave my office, enjoy your time in the parking lot sir, have a nice day.
Some days this job is just too emotional for me (especially with my hormones being heightened due to this munchkin in my tummy.) I know I do God’s work and I know the work I do is powerful and life-changing but there are some days when I just wish I had another job.. a simple job with regular hours, no phones ringing at 11 p.m. with client crises, no emotional involvement.. oh but what would I do.. who in the world knows.. but for now I will continue my journey as a pregnancy counselor and pray the Lord uses me where he needs me.
I hope everyone has a blessed week – I’ll be back tomorrow with my 19 WEEK belly post!!
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