Short Term 12

Thumbs up for the new movie Short Term 12, which depicts life in a placement center for troubled teens. While the audience sees the stories of only a few characters, we do get an authentic window into the effects of abuse on teens and the healing made possible through dedicated foster families and committed staff. 

As in Sandy's case, when children experience abuse, neglect, and poverty on top of the undiagnosed brain damage of FASD ("stack attack"), the effects can be overwhelming. Many of these children don't make it. But as in the movie, we keep on trying.

The night after we saw the film, I dreamed I was going to a train station to take a long trip. For fun (!), I rode my wheelie suitcase down a ramp into the station. As I rolled by the cafe, I saw Sandy, dressed in a neon orange t-shirt, sitting by a stone fireplace, reminiscent of a mountain lodge. Beside her, a small table was set for two, and Sandy sat sipping hot chocolate. She had ordered a ginger beer, open and waiting for me. As I sat down next to her, I floated back to waking consciousness but was  left with the treasured feeling of a loving reunion.