Just Thankful...

This past week I have had Thankful Thursday EVERYDAY!

Here is my story!

Last week my mom, Viv, came to my house to offer support to a girl in her neighborhood and church. The girl, Natalie, is 24 years old... has two daughters ages 16 months and 4 months... that right there would push me over the edge... just wait it gets better.

Natalie was raised in foster care... her biological mother is crazy! When Natalie was 4-5 months pregnant she had to have her gallbladder out. Her husband took her to the hospital and never showed up again. He is some kind of gang banger living in Salt Lake City... LOSER! They are now divorced. She had nobody so she did call her mother for help. Her mother lives in Southern Utah and brought her there to stay and re-coop. One night they got in a fight and the mother started kicking Natalie in the stomach (remember she is pregnant) and so Natalie pushed her off... the mother flew back and fell. She then called the police and had Natalie arrested for domestic abuse... Natalie couldn't make bail so she sat in jail for two weeks. She was then homeless. She and her 9 or 10 month old baby lived in the care and share in St. George for 21 days. She then called a Mormon bishop who helped her get into a rental trailer in my mom's ward. Viv was in the room when she had her baby and has tried to help her get back on her feet. Two weeks ago the baby, Falicity, got sick and was life flighted to Primary Children's Hospital where she had open heart surgery to repair a major birth defect. She wasn't supposed to live through the surgery. While the baby was in PICU my mom and Natalie stayed at my house. My heart has broken as I have watched this darling girl suffer. She is absolutely alone in this world save a few ward friends and people that have reached out to her. Her baby got out of the hospital last Saturday. When I went to St. George she was staying here in Salt Lake with the sister of the Bishop that got her out of the Care and Share. She was supposed to go back to St. George today, but the baby got a cold and is back in Primary Children's Hospital. I hope and pray that she is okay... I am going down today to take Natalie some treats and friendship.

WOW... This is a LONG drawn out story... and I have given the Reader's Digest condensed version. I am so thankful for my life and my own problems. I can't imagine how hard it would be to have a baby so sick... now add without a husband or mother or sisters or any family what-so-ever. Last week I cleaned out my closet and gave her a few things.... you would have thought it was a Neiman Marcus shopping Spree... she was so humble and appreciative! She has NOTHING and is SO grateful for all that she does have. She is a great mom and a really nice, funny person. I have so many things to be thankful for... Holy Cow... I am crying again as I write this. The one thing that has been going over and over in my mind is ... Because I have been given much, I too must give! I am not writing this to get money or sympathy or comments about how great it was I had her stay at my house...but to really publicly be Thankful for all I have!