Update on the children found alone on Christmas Eve
Greetings, All.
I have had several inquiries concerning the children found alone in the swamp on Christmas Eve, past. Some were deeply moved by their circumstances, others complimentary of the Warlock's actions, and things of that nature. Then we have had some negative responses; not unexpectedly, since there will always be those whose views of wrong and right are in direct opposition to anyone else's. I will speak to those in a moment.
I am pleased to say that the children are happy and thriving in their new environment. According to Thieron, who found them, and Garth, both of whom have visited with the little ones several times during the last twelve days, they are already much improved, physically and mentally. Garth relates that their new 'mom' has fattened them up so they look like little butterball turkeys. Thieron's main focus has been on the oldest child; the eleven year old young man upon whose thin shoulders rode the weight of caring for his siblings. The Warlock likens the child to a wise old man in a little boy's body. He says the child is yet self-contained and wary and Thieron thinks that is because the boy worries that what has been given him and his family will go up in a puff of smoke at any moment. Understandable, given the boy's life to date.
I am also pleased to report that the children's father was recently tracked down, and I think his story deserves telling. It has been a series of tragedies so I will only hit the points that give you some insight into his circumstances. He and his wife were very young when they married and both had impoverished beginnings. The gentleman makes his life as a fisherman and they made their home in the place they were raised, on a bayou in Louisiana. Life was a struggle but that was nothing new to them and they were very much in love so they worked hard to make a go of it. His wife died in childbirth ( at home, for they couldn't get medical help in time), with their fourth child; leaving the man with four small children to raise on his own.
The loss of his wife devastated him but he is a proud man and a loving father, and he found himself faced with having to work while considering what was best for his children's' welfare. He had few options for not only do they live in a remote area, but that have no close kin to lend a helping hand. He bartered with the wife of one of his fellow fisherman, also an impoverished couple, and they reached an agreement. She would look out for the children and their father would split his daily catch as payment. It worked well enough for a time but as the couple have several children of their own, you can imagine the problems that arose. There simply was not a lot of room in the two bedroom shack the couple called home, the children naturally squabbled with petty jealousies, and getting the oldest off to school while dealing with the younger ones was a miracle in itself.
The arrangement lasted until the woman became pregnant again, by which time the oldest of her extra charges was nine years old. As she could no longer handle the large brood, the father of the four children was faced with another decision. As it turned out, his oldest son stepped forward and declared himself capable of looking after his siblings while their father worked. With no other alternative (these people have no dealings with Welfare organizations for they fear having their families ripped from them), the young boy was given charge of his siblings. And I might add that his father was proud of him for offering to take on the responsibility.
Before you have unkind thoughts for a man who would leave his children to fend for themselves, one has to remember these aren't ordinary people but folks who live in their own little world, apart from the rest of society. They live and die in the swamps along miles and miles of bayou backwaters, where only camps exist for towns. They are a hardy, proud folk who deplore charity and work to survive. Thus they live by their own rules.
The father had left one morning to trap and fish as usual, and was miles from home when he met with an accident. With a broken leg and a severe gash in his side, he was unable to return by waterway. Unable to do much more than drag himself along, fainting when the pain became sever, a high fever set in and he was near deaths door when he was found by a trapper who happened upon him. As it turned out the children had been alone for over a week when they were found. Thieron had gone back to search for him and heard tell of the man who'd been found and carried to safety. He found him at the trapper's cabin being cared for by the man's sister. A few days more elapsed before the father came out of his feverish ranting to express concern for his children.
As soon as he could travel he was taken to hospital, his leg casted then reunited with his children. He and the couple who have the children have worked out a cooperative solution. The children will remain with the couple and their papa has signed over custody so they can go to school and live in a healthy environment. He is free to visit them at any time and he is included in making those important decisions concerning their upbringing. It has turned out well, for all.
Now, for those who took us to task for not alerting the 'proper' authorities: We saw no value in putting traumatized children into a system that regularly fails children. Whom would have best been served if those children had been separated, forced to be with strangers who might or might not have cared for them, or left in some institution to learn on their own how to interact with other traumatized children? They'd had no real contact with the outside world and doesn't that just about say it all? We placed them with a loving couple whom we knew would put the children's best interests first, and that is exactly what they did. Like it or not there are times when one feels one must circumvent the law, as such was this case, and we have no regrets. The children are happy, they get to see their papa often, and they now have the benefit of a complete family. They are being brought along with gentle but firm hands as they navigate their new world and where is the harm in that?
As of this post, the two older children are being home schooled by a tutor and when they are ready, all four will be introduced to children's organizations where they can learn to interact with others as they learn to play sports and other activities. No regrets, for in my estimation they are right where they need to be. Ponder and mayhap you will take a moment to give thanks for your blessings. Dream Teller
I have had several inquiries concerning the children found alone in the swamp on Christmas Eve, past. Some were deeply moved by their circumstances, others complimentary of the Warlock's actions, and things of that nature. Then we have had some negative responses; not unexpectedly, since there will always be those whose views of wrong and right are in direct opposition to anyone else's. I will speak to those in a moment.
I am pleased to say that the children are happy and thriving in their new environment. According to Thieron, who found them, and Garth, both of whom have visited with the little ones several times during the last twelve days, they are already much improved, physically and mentally. Garth relates that their new 'mom' has fattened them up so they look like little butterball turkeys. Thieron's main focus has been on the oldest child; the eleven year old young man upon whose thin shoulders rode the weight of caring for his siblings. The Warlock likens the child to a wise old man in a little boy's body. He says the child is yet self-contained and wary and Thieron thinks that is because the boy worries that what has been given him and his family will go up in a puff of smoke at any moment. Understandable, given the boy's life to date.
I am also pleased to report that the children's father was recently tracked down, and I think his story deserves telling. It has been a series of tragedies so I will only hit the points that give you some insight into his circumstances. He and his wife were very young when they married and both had impoverished beginnings. The gentleman makes his life as a fisherman and they made their home in the place they were raised, on a bayou in Louisiana. Life was a struggle but that was nothing new to them and they were very much in love so they worked hard to make a go of it. His wife died in childbirth ( at home, for they couldn't get medical help in time), with their fourth child; leaving the man with four small children to raise on his own.
The loss of his wife devastated him but he is a proud man and a loving father, and he found himself faced with having to work while considering what was best for his children's' welfare. He had few options for not only do they live in a remote area, but that have no close kin to lend a helping hand. He bartered with the wife of one of his fellow fisherman, also an impoverished couple, and they reached an agreement. She would look out for the children and their father would split his daily catch as payment. It worked well enough for a time but as the couple have several children of their own, you can imagine the problems that arose. There simply was not a lot of room in the two bedroom shack the couple called home, the children naturally squabbled with petty jealousies, and getting the oldest off to school while dealing with the younger ones was a miracle in itself.
The arrangement lasted until the woman became pregnant again, by which time the oldest of her extra charges was nine years old. As she could no longer handle the large brood, the father of the four children was faced with another decision. As it turned out, his oldest son stepped forward and declared himself capable of looking after his siblings while their father worked. With no other alternative (these people have no dealings with Welfare organizations for they fear having their families ripped from them), the young boy was given charge of his siblings. And I might add that his father was proud of him for offering to take on the responsibility.
Before you have unkind thoughts for a man who would leave his children to fend for themselves, one has to remember these aren't ordinary people but folks who live in their own little world, apart from the rest of society. They live and die in the swamps along miles and miles of bayou backwaters, where only camps exist for towns. They are a hardy, proud folk who deplore charity and work to survive. Thus they live by their own rules.
The father had left one morning to trap and fish as usual, and was miles from home when he met with an accident. With a broken leg and a severe gash in his side, he was unable to return by waterway. Unable to do much more than drag himself along, fainting when the pain became sever, a high fever set in and he was near deaths door when he was found by a trapper who happened upon him. As it turned out the children had been alone for over a week when they were found. Thieron had gone back to search for him and heard tell of the man who'd been found and carried to safety. He found him at the trapper's cabin being cared for by the man's sister. A few days more elapsed before the father came out of his feverish ranting to express concern for his children.
As soon as he could travel he was taken to hospital, his leg casted then reunited with his children. He and the couple who have the children have worked out a cooperative solution. The children will remain with the couple and their papa has signed over custody so they can go to school and live in a healthy environment. He is free to visit them at any time and he is included in making those important decisions concerning their upbringing. It has turned out well, for all.
Now, for those who took us to task for not alerting the 'proper' authorities: We saw no value in putting traumatized children into a system that regularly fails children. Whom would have best been served if those children had been separated, forced to be with strangers who might or might not have cared for them, or left in some institution to learn on their own how to interact with other traumatized children? They'd had no real contact with the outside world and doesn't that just about say it all? We placed them with a loving couple whom we knew would put the children's best interests first, and that is exactly what they did. Like it or not there are times when one feels one must circumvent the law, as such was this case, and we have no regrets. The children are happy, they get to see their papa often, and they now have the benefit of a complete family. They are being brought along with gentle but firm hands as they navigate their new world and where is the harm in that?
As of this post, the two older children are being home schooled by a tutor and when they are ready, all four will be introduced to children's organizations where they can learn to interact with others as they learn to play sports and other activities. No regrets, for in my estimation they are right where they need to be. Ponder and mayhap you will take a moment to give thanks for your blessings. Dream Teller
posted by Dreamteller at
4:10 AM
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