A Letter

Dear Anonymous Caller,

I have been thinking about you so much lately--about what you heard, about what you did--in early May. I am curious if you have wondered if your call made a difference in the lives of three children. I wanted to assure you that it did.

I wonder if you thought twice about sharing the information you were told with authorities. While it was an anonymous phone call, the information provided would point to one person. And that person was you. Did you weigh yourself into the equation or did you just know what needed to be done? Did you care that your actions could damage your relationship with others?

I want you to know what happened after. I wish there was a way to tell you that you would really see. What happened after was a flurry of activity. It was three very damaged children being brought to safety. It has been over two months of physical and emotional healing. It will be a much longer journey to make them confident that they are safe and to readjust their idea of normalcy.

Isn't it a shame that safety is not a God given right?

I want you to know that these children whom you do not know have flourished. That they now speak and smile and most recently, test limits. Know that a three year old saying "I don't want that" and a two year old throwing an all-out stomp-your-feet-scream-so-loud tantrum has become a beautiful thing. They have a sparkle in their eyes that wasn't there before. And you were the first to help that sparkle shine.

Dear Caller, if I have the privilege to know these children in the future, far enough in the future where they are old enough to fully understand their story, I want you to know that they will learn that someone who didn't know them, but knew of their situation, was the first to take steps to make their lives better, safer, happier. That someone is you.

Thank you for being brave.

Sincerely,
A Foster Mom