Ashlee is on pins and needles. The state currently has custody of her one year-old son. Ashlee is doing everything in her power to get him back. It has now been two months since the state took him away.
When I met Ashlee, she was just coming into her teenage years as a high school freshman. I still remember our first meeting. At the time I was a counselor with an Upward Bound program in town. I was looking for students to fill fifty slots from the area high schools. Ashlee was a perfect candidate for the program.
I recall being struck by her poise and demeanor. As a fourteen year old, she was very articulate and thoughtful. During her entrance interview, she gave us every reason to admit her into the program. Ashlee seemed determined to be the first person in her family to earn a college degree. In addition to being very driven academically, Ashlee also came from a low-income, single parent household. Her father was not in the picture at all. For all of these reasons, I felt like our program was just what she needed.
Eight years later, Ashlee and I reconnected on facebook. These days, she is a single mother without a college degree. She also carries the low-income label now as an adult. After high school, Ashlee tried college but didn't persist. Life happened to her--much of which she posts on facebook. One status update, in particular, triggered me to reach out to her.
Me: Is your son okay? I just saw your post about going to visit him. What happened?
Ashlee: He's okay now. Thank God. You didn't read about what happened in the Telegram and Gazette?
Me: No. I didn't.
Ashlee: We were at a motel looking out the window. While I was holding him he pushed the screen and fell out. He fell something like twenty feet.
Me: Oh my goodness!!! And he's alive? Thank God!
Ashlee: Yeh I know. The only problem now is that the state has custody of him. I can only see him once a week.
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