GENIE IN THE BOTTLE

I sat in the day room of the homeless shelter for teens in Bangor Maine watching all the kids in their activities. Some were playing Nintendo, some watching MTV and some actually reading a book! A couple of kids came to sit on the couch with me. We began talking. They were interested in why I chose to work in my field and if I had any children. Both I answered honestly.

I had an idea. I had watched the Disney movie Aladdin with my daughter the weekend before. The whole concept of a genie and three wishes made me think. What would be the answers of the kids at the shelter? It was a mini experiment in the making! I spoke to the counselors at the shelter about the idea and they thought it was a good idea and wanted to hear the results.

So, here I was with two kids sitting next to me and I was engaged in conversation with. Perfect. I posed the question to the two of them. Both gave me the same answer for the first wish, and it broke my heart. “I wish that my mom/dad would love me and let me back home again.” Other kids came over and soon everyone wanted to be part of this ‘experiment.’

All these kids were looking for was love. The first love we need, from our parents! All of the kids that day at the shelter were thrown out of the house for one specific reason. They did not get along with the mom/or dad’s new partner. After many years of talking with these kids, and meeting many of their parents, I understood a sad fact. Some parents divorced and the parent with custody begin a new relationship. Sometimes the relationship works well and the new partner accepts the kid(s) and life is good.

But sometimes, the partner has an idea that having the person to him or herself and having the kid out of the way is ideal. Many of these parents are craving attention and love from another ‘adult’ person and faced with the loss of that person in their life, will choose them over their own children. Many of the stories I had heard after asking the ‘Genie’ question were heartbreaking. I could write an entire book on these stories. I cherish the stories I have heard and will remember many of them for the rest of my life.