First Time I See My Family Again
First time I never saw my sisters, because I abused them and I went to jail. [Emily was quite violent when she came home, only because that is the only thing she ever knew. Often, Emily chooses to share more than I am comfortable with and this is one of those times. Usually I allow her article to remain unedited, but sometimes as a parent, who thinks he knows best, I do remove parts that don’t change the point of her article, but that really contain too much information.] Mom and dad come and visit me in jail and write to me [Emily spent about 90 days in juvenile detention.] After couple of months, I got surprised by my dad. He told me we would go somewhere and also my mom and dad love me. I got surprised by my dad because he told me first time to see my brothers and sisters again.
[Because of the extent of Emily’s behaviors when she lived at home, psychologists for our younger children told us that they couldn’t handle being around her. After quite a while, we asked when it would be time to reunify her with her siblings. We were told that when Emily was ready that we would know by the way that she treated others in her proximity (staff, roommates, and us, when we visited). When the other children were ready, they would ask. During that time, Amy and I continued to visit weekly as well as keeping telephone contact. Emily was always included in personal and family prayers. The children were informed when Emily was having good times and doing well. One by one, the children began asking to see their sister. We would take them to see Emily from time to time, without letting the others know. Eventually, everyone had seen her at least once, and they were to the point where letting her visit in the home would not cause them an unbearable amount of stress. At that point, we knew that they were ready to have Emily visit in the home. The first several visits were difficult for the children, but now they are comfortable with having her visit us in the home.]
My dad teasing me when I ask where we are going and he say to hide my body in the ground. I got scared about bury my body in the ground but I know that my Amarican dad just joking about it. I never believe that he put my body in the ground, just joking about it.
[OK! We need some explanation, here! Sometimes Emily gets very afraid of things that aren’t even realistic. Sometimes, by saying something very extreme, like “we’re looking for a place to hide your body,” she sees how ridiculous it is that she is fearing unreasonable things. Then she laughs and calms down. Of course, things like this were never said until she had developed extreme amounts of confidence in me, as her father. So, right or wrong, there’s the explanation for what she’s talking about.]
I never believe it because he never do it. Sometime we never supposed to give up on my sisters and brothers. My Amarican dad took me long way to home and I got scared about it. He take a video of me because I started crying and be excited. Sometimes thought with my life I will stay in jail forever what I did to my sisters and my brothers.
When I saw my sisters and brothers I am so scared and happy because I never meet my sisters Celeste and Sarah or brother Denney. [She means it had been so long since she had seen them. She knows she had met them. They had lived together in our home for about a year and a half before Emily moved.]
Now I am never lose them anymore. My dad told me I’m not lose them anymore. I got so scared because I not met them before ‘til now [hadn’t seen them for so long]. Now I am going to see them because make me happy. When my dad took me first time home [the first time we took her back for a visit after she was moved from the home] my dad told them “give Emily a hug.”
Sisters and brothers important to me all the time. My dad let me see my sisters and brothers. My dad bring one all the time to [name of institution withheld]. Some of my sisters need help, like Annie and also me. [Annie is moderately mentally challenged.] I promise my dad that I never going to hurt my sisters or brothers. I am happy that I came home when I never saw my sisters and brothers for a long time. Now I do see them and make me so happy.
I been so nervous to see my sisters and my brothers because I never saw them in the orphinige. Because orphinige people never bring me to see my sisters or brothers.
I like Amarican home be with my own family. When my sisters and brothers saw me they so happy about it all the time.
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