www.flickr.com
almadbren's items Go to almadbren's photostream

Monday, March 12, 2007

To the parents of the girl in the waiting room.....

To the parents in the Eating Disorder Clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota today:

My heart breaks for you. We see you there sitting across from us in the waiting room. We see the worried look on your face, we recognize it, it's the one we've had all week. We see your beautiful daughter and even though she is obviously in trouble, we see hope in her eyes. We wonder what she looked like before she got to this point in her life.

Our daughter, who is just starting her journey with this problem, sees your daughter and it scares her. She asks me 'how people get to that point' and I tell her that they start out just like her. Inside I'm hoping she sees your daughter and it scares the hell out of her. That it scares her so much that she will start eating and not feel like she needs to 'get rid of it' once she does eat. She talked about how sad she was thinking of your daughter all the way home. How she couldn't stop thinking of how scared she must be.

When we saw you leave the waiting room, we thought you were on your way home. Then you came back and you had your daughter's suitcase with you. We knew what that meant because they tell you to come prepared and we had a suitcase in our car too, waiting for the decision.

We saw your tears and the scared look on all your faces and it broke our hearts. Our turn was next. Would we be in your shoes soon? Would we have to leave our beautiful baby here with strangers like you did?

You walk out and they call our names. We meet with the doctor and hear the words we have been wanting to hear. Day treatment. No inpatient.

We were spared your kind of pain today, but we both know the pain of this problem. Helplessness. Wanting to step in and save them, but it is up to them. We can't save them from themselves.

My thoughts and prayers are with you tonight and I can only imagine the emptyness in your house and the heaviness of your heart.

We were able to bring our girl home - but they are on the same journey. May God be with both of them.

1 comment:

*~*Cece*~* said...

Angie, that was a beautiful post. I can't imagine having to see your child do this to herself. I'm sorry. I'm also glad she's getting the help she needs. Be strong & take care of each other.

Love ya.