{"id":502,"date":"2013-06-13T13:44:05","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T17:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ezermizionusa.org\/blog\/?p=502"},"modified":"2013-09-11T16:55:12","modified_gmt":"2013-09-11T20:55:12","slug":"mental-illness-when-the-security-of-childhood-is-shattered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ezermizion.org\/blog\/mental-illness-when-the-security-of-childhood-is-shattered\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Illness: When the Security of Childhood is Shattered"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"pr\u201cHello, Ezer Mizion calling\u2026\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

My knees buckled. My blood ran cold. Mentally, I counted my kids. I had just spanked my two-year-old for running in the street yesterday. Did he\u2026? Is he\u2026? Or Mimi? Was all that howling about a stomachache more than just a ploy to skip school? Are they operating now? Did they catch it in time? Or maybe it\u2019s Daniel. I always told him not to climb\u2026or Avi or\u2026<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThank you for registering as a volunteer driver. We need you to do a pick up today.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

The knees straighten up and the blood flows smoothly again. I had forgotten about my registration. Thank G-d, all is well with my family. But for another family, all is not well at all. \u00a0The caller gives me the details. It\u2019s two little girls.<\/p>\n

I drive to their home and the two little girls jump into the car with a whoop and buckle their seatbelts.\"pr<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone is sick in our family. That\u2019s why we get a ride from Ezer Mizion,\u201d the bouncy one volunteered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s our father,\u201d explained the older one, looking excited and angry all at once. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have the hurting kind of sickness like a sore throat. He has men\u2026men\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMental illness,\u201d the little one finished for her. \u201cHe stays in the house all the time smoking cigarettes. It makes me so mad. It\u2019s like I don\u2019t have a real Abba.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel bad for him,\u201d adds the older one vacillating between anger and the love she barely remembered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe, too. But I also feel bad for us. Our Abba doesn\u2019t know how to talk or read or anything. I just finished first grade and I can read better than my Abba.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I get scared. He used to take me for a walk and I would hold his hand and feel safe. \u00a0Now sometimes Mommy asks me to take care of him! It\u2019s scary taking care of an Abba.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like going in Ezer Mizion cars. Ezer Mizion people take care of us. It\u2019s like you\u2019re our Abba\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cI sometimes do homework with my Abba. He forgets the words and I help him remember how to write them. He used to play school with me and make believe he forgot how to write. It was fun playing teacher and giving him homework to do. My Mommy says I should play school like we used to but this is not fun at all. Sometimes I run away and hide\u00a0 when it\u2019s time for Abba\u2019s homework.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s learning fast. He knows a lot of letters already,\u201d says the older one loyally. \u201cAnd in arithmetic, he\u2018s really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbba used to take us to the zoo. That was so much fun. Now Abba can\u2019t take us anywhere. He\u2019s afraid he won\u2019t know which bus to get on or even which house to come back to.\u00a0\u00a0 Imagine not knowing your own house! He doesn\u2019t even know his address so he can\u2019t even ask someone for directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbba used to do the shopping for Shabbos. He would buy me licorice-the red kind- \u2018cause that\u2019s my favorite. Now he can\u2019t go to the grocery store. He doesn\u2019t know our credit card number and he would get all mixed up about what to buy. I think- I think he even forgot that red licorice is my best candy. My friend\u2019s mother gave me some last Shabbos but it\u2019s not the same. I want my Abba to buy it for me! My Abba-not my friend\u2019s Abba!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbba makes Kiddush. He never, ever, ever forgets how to make Kiddush. He\u2019s like a real Abba when he makes Kiddush. Sometimes I close my eyes during Kiddush\u00a0 and make believe that I live in a regular house with a regular family. It\u2019s the best time of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

The next best time is at Ezer Mizion. Nice people talk to us and we play games. They take care of us and they\u2026they love us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The car door opened and two little girls bounced out, albeit with a few bumps in their bounce. An Ezer Mizion staff member welcomed them as they entered a world where all was secure.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat man was nice,\u201d I heard them say. \u201cHe took care of us.\u201d\"\"<\/p>\n

The staff member held their little hands. I watched as the Ezer Mizion door closed, locking out all the monsters.<\/p>\n

For further info: ezermizion.org<\/p>\n

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