Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Senator Pam Roach On Grandmaing

"Come on, Grandma!" Grandson Ethan (almost 8) yelled. "Come on!"

It didn't feel like I was lagging behind. I just knew one thing...he was was better than me!

"Grandma, come on! I need your help!"

I was tucked back into the recesses of the leather couch, tense, nervous, waiting for an alien to blast me. Tonight I played "Halo" with my seven-year-old friend. I am sure I played some role as he begged me to keep playing...even when the brownies were ready.
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Last Saturday I devoted the day to my beautiful granddaughter, Emily (10). She didn't know it.

But, when I go to her championship basketball game next Saturday, I will return her copy of Twilight that I just read. The reward will be the discussion we have. The book is wildly popular among young girls. The movie is out already. It is a piece of "adolescent literature" and not my current reading. But, perhaps her next book will be one of my choosing. This is better than a book club.
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For Valentine's Day Cammie (3) and I made and decorated sugar cookies. She wore the baker's hat and matching apron that I gave her at Christmas. Gymnast mom, Melanie, thought she was was just the cutest.
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Tomorrow on the Olympia campus...look for Ethan and me walking together, talking. He has yet another day off from school and Rep. Roach and I are splitting the day with him.
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My goal?
Yes, I want to teach my grandkids whatever I can. And, of course, I want to love them and have fun. But right now I am interested in creating memories. I want them to remember me. In the end that is really all I can give.

4 comments:

unhappygrammy said...

Please check out my Grandparents blogspothttp://unhappygrammy-grandparentsblog.blogspot.com/ at

Claire McGee said...

We share the same goal.
I have three grandsons.
I am banned from having any contact with them by Oregon - Clackamas County DHS.
They have been in DHS "care" since March 2007. Now they are depressed and angry and shut down.
Me? I'm pretty much crazy with grief. I mourn these boys as though they were dead.
Unlike the Stuth's -- I don't have any money to pay a ransom .. buy a lawyer ...
DHS is a criminal racketeering endeavor - as shown recently in PA where the judges were found guilty of money laundering by taking monetary kickbacks to house children in "certain prisons."

I do know that the caseworkers in my state operate with no discernment - that they lie outright - and that they perceive themselves able to read my mind - and then state their interpretation in court - as though it is fact. And they have the power to split up families and ruin the lives of chidlren.

I used to end my correspondence with them, with the words "how do you sleep at night" but of late, have changed to "You will answer to your God for what you have done to these chidlren."

A lot of good it does. But - I cannot help but compulsively search the net - reaching out to others who have also had their children stolen .. because I cannot enjoy life - knowing my grandsons are incarcerated in a paid foster facility. It is NOT a family - it is not THEIR family ... they are being held against their will - against the will of the family.
My son recently "gave agreement" that I be banned by court order - because to do otherwise - he would sign his own warrant to have zero contact.
An agency who does this is evil. Pure and simple. Current DHS agency is modeled after the Swiss agencies of the 1930's. But - public education being what it is - most people have no idea ...
They ignorantly think that these agencies are protecting children. These agencies are using chidren for profit - and abandoning the children who are actually in real danger -- because the workers are busy - going after people like me... who they "don't like."
I almost came to your rally - but - how is this for irony ... I had a job interview - with DHS. Not the child taking arm of the agency - but for vital records...
I should have gone to the rally..

Thank you Sen. Roach - for having courage.

infinite freedom said...

Sometimes we never really know how good it is, 'till after it's gone. Doesn't look like that is the case with you, Senator Roach.

I only wish the rest of us could catch up to you.

But then again, what do I know, thanks to Washington state, my eight year old son is gone. What was my crime? Just being born is enough for them, they'll find something to show that you came out wrong, and your children are better off without you.

I need to learn to cherish what I have left. But there will always be a hole in my heart.

There will always be a hole where Dylan should have been.

Anonymous said...

Dear Senator Roach,

My Grama was much the woman that you are. Dhe used to say that, "Grama is not smarter than you, she's just lived longer."

I remember in kind all the time they took out of their day to drive me back and forth to Sea-Tac for interviews with the airlines..And there were plwnry of trips..I remember Easters, Valentines Day, 4th of July,Christmas..and she always made it so special for us kids.

I remember her squirting us with the hose as we ran around a huge rockery by the Fir tree. Cookies..and licking the bowl..and she took 3 grandchildren to the world fair on the last day in Seattle.

She has been gone now since 1973..and I still cry and miss her so much..I do smell her perfume from time to time..especially in my time of need..and I alsways say" Hi Grama.

If it weren't for my Grandparents..I do not know for sure which path my life would have taken.. but I can tell you this..My Grandparents would be proud of me today..And the woman I turned out to be..

I love you Grama and Grampa..and miss you more than you could ever know!

Until then..

Your loving Grand-Daughter

Cynthia Claire Tillett