Sanford's Dream

[Teresa]

My mother moved through the main corridor of St. Teresa's Orphanage like the quintessential earth mother of all children. "Do you want to see my woom?" Sanford asked her over the many small voices competing for attention, "Come and see my woom!"

She'd brought me with her this day in 1971 to witness another one of her reckless urges; before I knew it we were signing papers to take Sanford home with us for the weekend, a transaction similar to checking out a library book.

We took 3 year-old Sanford to Ashburns for ice cream, to CleanSpin laundry, then to Sunday mass on our last day together where he followed along with Monsignor Weiwell as well as anyone else, "Our fodder, who heart 'n heaven, hello Ed be thy name." Everyone stared because Sanford wasn't white like us, something my mother explained as "un-Christian ignorance", though we'd gotten the most stares during mass.

When we returned Sanford to the orphanage late that Sunday afternoon, he clung to my mother again, crying in lieu of words it would take him many years to find.

*St. Teresa's Home was located on Burchill Rd. in Fort Worth, TX. Many of the children I attended school with at Holy Name Catholic School were residents there.

[Joe Gensle]

warm 'n sweet heartfelt and heartbreaking, perfectly told. And Sanford's Lord's prayer is huggable. You caught this scene fat and sailed it right outta the park for a grand slam :)

[Stephen Buss]

It's hard to balance the innocence of this tale with the 'cruelty' of the ending - such is the power of a tale well told Teresa - well done again!

[Teresa]

@Sandra - yup, typo, nothing clever. I fixed it. And yea, I agree that our personal worlds are made from what we're exposed to so to see a decent family in action would create a positive goal for a child without a family. I'd say my family could be mostly decent for as long as a weekend, but not much longer. That was the "reckless" part of my mother's action; if you can't take care of the kids you have, don't take on more (even if only for a weekend).

[Sandra Davies]

Just spotted 'wreckless' which is either a very clever use of word or a typo!!
And I can see that the other side of the cruelty aspect, and probably more likely to have a long term effect, is the glimpse of another hitherto unsuspected world which could perhaps give Sanford or any other child something to strive for - definitely a Good Thing.

[jkdavies]

I have to admit I was confused to start with as I read woom/womb, and wondered where the 3yr old boy had come from - then I realized my mistake!
But what speaks to me most is the simplicity (which I am sure is actually a very difficult effect to achieve) of the observations; and how far reaching the effects of a simple kindess might be.

[Teresa]

@Sandra ~ I wonder about the cruelty aspect of this, too. It may have been a program the "home" thought beneficial to the children, a "weekend treat" so that there was more one-on-one attention but...

[Sandra Davies]

I'm aware that more often than not I comment on the story rather than the writing which, I think, is all credit to you for the perfection of your story telling. In this instance I find myself wondering about the cruelty or otherwise of showing Sanford another, unattainable, side of life. I love your version of "Our fodder..."

[Jared Handley]

that's fantastic. just beautiful. i want to say it's carefully assembled, except it feels more like some of the richer moments weren't contrived but simply happened.

[Mike Handley]

I love this.