There is a safe haven at Auntie’s house whose name has now been simplified by an innocent minded four year old to, “Tee Tee”. The preschool aged boy is intelligent enough to know his mother and that Auntie is not the one who birthed him yet still she is the closest thing to a mama that he knows. Along with his infant sister he has a stable home with his beloved auntie, once an aggressive career woman, now catapulted into single motherhood by her young and irresponsible little sister who simply decided that she didn’t want the responsibility of being a mother. The hurt in her nephew’s eyes could not have been any more heart piercing as he recited the all too familiar phrase,” Tee Tee, is mommy coming to visit us today?”
What does a woman do when she sees that there is a great need to rescue the innocence of her own bloodline from the hands of those that might be waiting to abuse them in the system? More than once, or even five times for that matter, anger arises at the thought of a perfectly capable person that could be who her children need her to be yet choosing to have little to no dealings with her babies. Silent questions arise as to how a mother could sleep at night or mingle in the day knowing that there are two little people absent of the love and nurturing presence from the one who carried them in her womb? How could the tiny pleading voice of her son or the widened eyes of her newborn daughter not turn her away from walking out of the door only to enter into a night of hangout spots? Is there no conviction that no financial support is shown whatsoever but yet her children are expected to be completely provided for by those who have hearts to give? Will there be any attempt at adulthood? Will she ever apply for a job? Who knows the answers to all of these things but God?
Still compassion wins out, hands down. The children are not to suffer due to the insane decisions of their mommy…maybe she will get it together one day but until then they are Tee Tee’s babies. If motherhood is what has to be taken on with her own womb still barren then so be it. Precious little hearts need love and a stable environment to settle into. They need to be somewhere where the refrigerator is stocked and the front door locks out all unwarranted predators. There is no need to lay in bed at night worrying about the conditions of foster care or orphanage authorities because Tee Tee has her babies covered. She makes sure they are clothed, fed, and brought up in the right manner only explaining the bare minimum when necessary of why her sister is not around. No official adoption papers needed, no government assistance is required or sought out due to the action being straight from her heart.
She does what she does without strife or grumbling even though un forgiveness may want to sneak up to her door. Exhaustion comes and passes, never welcomed to stay for a visit because love drives her soul. The neighbors knows what she is doing, they have witnessed too many nights of children crying after their birth mother as she fled via the bus stop. They admire her and support her efforts with anything they can provide. Still, when someone commends her for the deeds in hand, proclaiming her to be Auntie of the year, she just smiles and humbly expresses, “Auntie is what society says I am, but to me they are just Tee Tee’s babies.”
