At lunchtime yesterday I was able to send a very long-overdue email to my close family and friends:
I got a call from Alesia just now! She sounded good. She said she is working part-time at a fast food place and studying for the GED. She is still in Greenville with her boyfriend but she said she is happy.
When she first called me and when I heard her voice I wanted to cry but I didn't. I have been praying I would hear from her. She asked me how I was and I told her about recuperating from the heart surgery, and she started crying. I reassured her I am OK and she said "I'll have to call you back." She called me back in a few minutes, not crying. I again reassured her I am OK now.
As usual, she wasn't too forthcoming about details of her life; wouldn't tell me where she was living, for example, just that it is "nice" and that her boyfriend treats her well.
She asked about Michael and I told her he passed his GED on the first try and is trying to decide about college. She wanted to know about Granny and Lola too, of course.
It was not a long conversation but I assured her I love her and I want to hear from her more often -- it's been 8 months. She said "I love you Mom and you're a good Mom."
I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to concentrate on work and not cry, but I ended up crying several times. Relief. Just abject relief. I had not heard from my daughter since mid December 2014. I knew, intellectually, she was probably fine, but hearing absolutely nothing for months and being unable to contact her was incredibly stressful.
I didn't have a phone number for my daughter until yesterday. Somebody posted a comment on my Facebook post and said I was wise to not get in contact with Alesia but I simply couldn't contact her. I had emailed her numerous times but she said the email she had been using had been shut down.
So yesterday after we talked, we texted back and forth a long time over the course of the afternoon. She sent me this photo which she made yesterday.
She is driving down on Saturday to visit for a few days. I am excited and nervous. I told her we will celebrate her birthday [which was last week] and Michael's [which is Sunday], and I got the kids tickets to Six Flags for a present.
She has been my "wild child" for several years but I sensed a real maturity yesterday that I haven't seen before, and an obvious longing to re-connect with family. She is 24 now, and finally getting her life on track. Hugely relieved.
I will, of course, keep praying for her every day..
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My cousin Tony was in town for a workshop this week, and he drove over from his hotel and had dinner with us last night, which was a welcome distraction. Tony teaches English at a private high school in Kentucky and is one of my favorite people, much more like an older brother than a cousin. Tony's dad was my dad's oldest brother.
I cooked sauteed shrimp with Jasmine rice, fresh white acre peas, and fresh roasted yellow squash. He was delighted to see the fresh veggies and ate two huge heaping plates of food. My dessert was his favorite thing - Klondike bars. Don't laugh. He loved them.
He also had a good visit with Mother and Michael. I wish he lived closer so we could see each other more often. He does get down here on occasion because he owns property in Rome, Georgia, which is about an hour north of Atlanta.
