Hi Laura,

I was a witness to some of the way single moms were treated, but your telling of it was really powerful. Your description is so vivid. You said:

"Then you'd get put on childcare of all the kids in the Home 7 days a week, you slept on a mattress on the floor in a room full of your kids and other people's kids, and all those who went witnessing and brought in money were given a percentage of what they brought in as "shiner money" and they and their kids could actually afford new shoes and an occasional movie."

It's amazing that no one considered the one taking care of their children as worthy of a share of the "spoils".

"Then, in 1999, a series of letters came out about how fathers had to be responsible for their kids by single moms. In my silly naivete, I wrote to the father of my fifth and by far most difficult child behaviorally, who happened at the time to be the Business Teamworker in Maria and Peter's home. Well, needless to say, this father, because of his oh-so-important position, was an exception to the rule and I was still on my own. I got a three page explanation of this "straight from the horse's mouth", a prophecy which was supposed to be Berg speaking."

so the horse who wrote it denied it... maybe it would cost HIM something. So sad and hypocritical!

I'm really glad your kids are doing well, and I think it's alright to wish we had not been under such pressure to "produce". The kids understand, I'm sure, and know you love them with all your, sometimes, exhausted heart!