The Face of Homeless.............a Departure.............

Part 1

We knew when our guests moved into our back yard that their stay here was to be limited. Still life got in the way and the time frames originally set in place were pushed beyond our original expectations. At no point did we consider that to be an inconvenience for us, although it probably wasn't how our guests wished things had gone except for one little blip that was a good thing.

The teenage girl staying here was accepted into a summer camp put on by the Y. I'm hoping that for the entire week that she was gone, she was able to put this current life situation behind her and actually do the things that kids should be doing in the summer time. That would be having fun with friends and being a kid. I know she certainly needed that break from life's rocky road.

The opportunity to go to camp had come up unexpectedly. It pushed a departure date from here to southern California back by a few days but it was certainly worth it for her to get the opportunity to have such an awesome experience. I never did get a chance to speak to her about her trip but her mom said she had a great time.

After her return, something else pushed the departure plans a bit although I hardly remember what it was. Dave nor I ever worried about this extended visit. I guess we never saw our guests as an inconvenience. I felt bad for them that life's bumps were still interfering with their plans but that didn't change the fact they were welcome here as long as need be.

It was actually during the Daffodil All Arabian Horse Summer Show that the first departure from our farm happened. I expected when I arrived home from move in day to find mother and daughter gone so we had some brief goodbyes as I was preparing for the horse show.

When I arrived home that evening, their car was here with the hood up and dad was gone. I don't even recall the mechanical specifics of the issues but dad was still working on those last minute issues with the car and that was all that really mattered. The trip was postponed but only a matter of hours.

The good part of the postponement was we got a chance for a more "proper" goodbye. That part was good but I could see the frustration taking it's toll and I was saddened by it. As much as I worried about what the future might hold, I understood their need to try to take some control of their lives. Moving back to familiar country would help them do that, I really hoped they'd have a safe journey and deeply wished there was more we could do to make things better.

By the time I got home from the horse show the second day, mother and daughter were indeed gone. I thought about them a lot during my horse show wondering how the trip was going and if they were safe. I even had a few flashbacks of my own trip down that road to California to met up with Jesse Saldana for my trip to Tulsa. I sure hoped they had a better experience than I did. I wouldn't wish that trip on anyone.

Over the next few days we got updates on their progress. They stopped for a few days to visit with an old friend before continuing the rest of the way down towards San Diego. I was relieved to hear they'd arrived safely and I know a little about how things are going.

Dad is still here living in our yard although he is worried about putting us out. We keep telling him he is welcome as long as need be. I believe he's hoping to join mother and daughter at the beginning of next month.

The teenage girl was able to begin her journey into high school on the first day of school as they had hoped. They have a roof over their heads but I believe it is a temporary situation. They are still looking for something more suitable. We're all keeping our fingers crossed that happens.......and it happens soon. There's nothing we'd like better than to know that things have really turned around for this family.


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