Tiffany And Ethan At The Prison

When I tell people my daughter Tiffany is in prison, I normally get an “Oh….I’m so sorry”.  I just respond, “Don’t be sorry. It’s OK….I’m thankful Tiff’s in prison.” That usually earns me an odd look.

But it’s true.

I am very thankful for those weekly 100 mile round trips to the prison to sit in a visiting room crowded with inmates, some who have committed truly unthinkable crimes.

I am very thankful for those phone calls from Tiffany that always seem to come when I am busy doing something else or just don’t feel like talking.

I am very thankful for those insane conversations about how bad things are in prison or how weird her “cellee” is.

I am very thankful she was pregnant when she was arrested.

I am very thankful she is in prison so I can now raise  my other grandson Keelen.

I am very thankful she got 70 months.

I can hear it now. “Girl…you have lost your freakin’ mind! How can you be thankful for that?”

Well….every week I get see my daughter. I get to hug her and give her a kiss and I get to watch Keelen play games and read stories with his mom.

I get talk to Tiffany almost every night on the phone and Keelen gets to tell his mom about his day.

I get to watch Tiffany grow from a “wannabe” street thug into the amazing woman that I always knew she was with no interest in a life of crime.

I got to watch Tiffany give birth to a healthy baby boy, my second grandchild Ethan and in a selfless act of love give him to an amazing deserving adoptive couple that will raise him to know both his moms.

I know that Keelen is safe and well cared for and gets to have a relationship with both his mom and dad.
It is going to take the full 70 months for Tiffany to break this destructive cycle of drugs and unhealthy men.

Plus the brains behind this crime got 136 months. And if the person he assaulted had died, Tiffany could be doing life!! So…WOO HOO only 70 months!!

There are many many parents with children that were traveling down the same path as Tiffany. And they now have to visit their children in the cemetery. So, yes…I am very thankful Tiffany is in prison.

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving

Debbie

I am trying to teach Keelen that Christmas is really about “giving” not “getting”. Last year Keelen and I bought a toy for “Toys For Tots”. I let him pick it out. At four, I don’t think he really understood the whole concept and he had a hard time letting it go and putting it in the collection box.

This year I have been talking about it for awhile. In an effort to teach him the art of giving and caring, this is our list of things to do:

1. Buy a couple nice toys for “Toy For Tots”. (And put them in the box without crying.)

2. Donate food to our local food bank. I kind of look at this a a food savings account. You never know when we might have to make a withdrawal.

3. Sending Christmas cards and needed items to our soldiers. He just sat down and signed “Love Keelen” on 30 Christmas Cards. Click HERE to see more. (photo above)

4. Donating socks to the “Sock Drive” at the prison. It’s for the homeless not the prisoners. Actually, the prisoners have to buy their own socks.

I’m sure I can come up with something else before the “giving” season is over. Actually, the giving season should never be over.

And it’s not “gimme, gimme, gimme”. It’s “give, give, give”. There’s a big difference.

I think I have my work cut out for me.

Debbie