Innocence

Throughout my career I have heard things from people of all walks of life. Since working with kiddos more so in the past few months I look at things in a little bit of a different light and sometimes I joke that it takes quite a bit to shock and surprise me. Today, while visiting a three year old classroom, two kiddos were talking about their daddies. One little girl, turned to me and said, "I talk to my daddy but he is in prison." For some reason, her one simple comment brought tears to my eyes. I have heard everything under the sun so this should not have been surprising or shocking. I KNOW the experiences the kiddos I work with are terrifying and awful and hard to imagine but for some reason, today, it really threw me. Partly, because Sophia is 3 and is so sheltered and innocent- probably doesn't even know what jail or prison is. It makes me angry and heartbroken to know there are three year olds that know about prison and to me it is just so unfair that they know about these things at such a young age already. Three year olds should not have to know about prison or money problems but they do. Another aspect that I thought about was the fact that so many times, inmates are seen as only a criminal and in a way depersonalized and not much thought is given to the family they are leaving behind, many have children and other loved ones left to explain why daddy is in prison. 

I think it just opened my eyes of how grateful and blessed I am to be able to raise my children for what they are- children- and that I have the ability, for now, to ensure that they don't have to have adult sized worries.