Thank Goodness I Work With Social Workers

Yesterday, my job put me through the ringer. It does that now and then. What I love and hate about the job is that I never know what each day will hold.

These days, my to-do list is awfully long. I may as well throw a dart at it to decide which crisis to deal with first. Instead, I went with my gut and ended up dealing with one particular crisis all day long. At 9:00 AM, I went to the home. By 10:30 AM, I was in my supervisor's office with the door closed, crying.

Her response? "It's ok. We're social workers."

The rest of the day I spent entertaining one kid, looking for two missing kids, communicating with law enforcement, dealing with difficult people, and finding a foster home for all three kids.

By 9:00 PM, all three kids were found and buckled in for an hour drive to the foster home. Hallelujah.

When I finally got home and into bed, I thought that I would sleep better. It was a long, hard day, but the kids were safe now. I should be relieved.  Instead, I laid awake, restless.

I know something that they will soon find out. This is the beginning of a long, hard journey for them. And their parents. And those kids? They have no control as to how it will end.