Shout Out to Roy Battle

I wanted to give a shout out to my stepfather, Roy Battle.  He married my mother 34 years ago and has been a wonderful role model, example and second father to me for every one of those 34 years.  

I think we sometimes take blessings for granted.  While I have been in Kenya, I have talked with a lot of people and have heard way too many stories about mothers marrying men who HATE their children, so the mothers abandon their children for their new husbands.  I mean ABANDON.  The children are sent to "auntie's" who don't feed them for several days, or told to go find somewhere else to live.  These children are very young, even as young as 5 years old.  Can you imagine this?  There is a boy at the Virginia Home who has been severely depressed because his mother sent him there because her new husband hates him and wants nothing to do with him.  He doesn't go home for holidays or school breaks.  His mother rarely comes to see him because she doesn't have money for "transport".  Every time I see Brighton standing by himself in the corner of the yard my heart breaks.  I want to run straight to my own stepfather, Roy, and thank him again and again.

Today we visited a government operated "Streetboys' Rehabilitation Home" and while it was a perfect example of what NOT to do, I couldn't help feeling so sad for the boys there.  Many of the boys became "streetboys" because their parents (many of them stepparents) kicked them out of the house because they didn't want anything to do with them.  When you look into their faces, you see they are just kids.  Kids who deserve better.  Kids who seem rather barbaric because they have had no guidance in their lives.  I just don't understand this.  My children are far from perfect (as am I) but I could never look at them and tell them I have no use for them and they just need to leave.  Roy would have never looked at my mother and said, "I hate your daughter, I do not want her around.  Make her leave.  I will not feed her or clothe her."  But this happens all the time in Kenya.  I know it happens in America too, but I doubt it is as common as it seems to be in Kenya.

Hug your parents, hug your children and you better know I am grateful for Roy Battle in my life!