Tonight

I am sad. I feel like I have lost part of my family. The five brothers at Casa were taken home by their mother and father today. While I know families need to be together..........For me this means no more watching yovanni lining up his toys and keeping them just so so. No more Marvin in my face yelling at the top of his lungs and sticking his tongue out.......No more sitting in the hallway with Mario trying to calm him down after an outburst of rage and no more seeing Mr Cutie; Francisco flash those beautiful dimples. But what I will miss most of all is no more times will I answer the phone and hear those sweet words, "Hola grandma 'nita" He wont be calling me to tell me how cute he is now that he has his hair cut or reminding me to bring candy the next time I come to visit. I can not even imagine how difficult today was for Karen, Jen and Ashley. And the boys, what are they to think? Antonio knows his mother as someone he sees once a month. I am trying not to be selfish but it is hard.
I pray dear Father that the lessons that these sweet boys learned at Casa stay with them. The morning devotionals, the prayers and the "I love you's" I pray that they never forget these. I pray that their parents realize what treasures they have in their family and treat them with kindness and gentleness. I pray that sometime in the future when Antonio hears a plane and looks up and says Grandma 'nita that he smiles because this heart is smiling through the tears and thanking God for letting me see the beauty of these five boys.