Amarah's Corner: 'Kids like me' recieve a 'terrible gift'

Hi! My name is Amarah. Kids are important to me, and they’re important to Jesus, too.

In Matthew 18:10 (KJV), Jesus said, “Take heed that ye despise not (hurt or be mean to) one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

“Kids like me” are kids whose parents are drug addicts, and alcoholics; kids who have suffered, or who are suffering, abuse and neglect on multiple levels; and kids who are victims of bullying.

Hey kids like me! I met an amazing woman today. Her name is Kathy Suazo. She’s the Child Protection Supervisor of Alamosa County Department of Human Services and I was very impressed with her. She had a lot of amazing things to say and she helped me feel better about me. I really like Miss Kathy a lot. I want to help kids like me and I’m so excited about meeting her cause I feel like I’m finally doing something. I really want to do some stuff for kids like me to help them because my little sister, Ava, and I, needed help but no one was there to help us when we were with our mother. It was like I was wearing a mask that had a painted-on smile trying to make it look like everything was ok, but it wasn’t ok, and my eyes were saying, “PLEASE, help me!”

Our mother was beautiful, and she was a registered nurse. She didn’t look like an addict so no one believed it. But, she was an addict and life in her addiction was hell. Ava and I were hungry, cold and scared. All we had was each other. Then, she started having seizures in front of us and it was terrifying. I think about kids like me going through the same things Ava and I went through, and even worse things and they don’t know what to do cause there’s no one there for them to talk to either. But, after talking with Miss Kathy, I know I can help kids like me and I believe it will begin very soon.

I met with Miss Kathy in her office and as we talked, I noticed a sign that said, “You Can’t Fix Stupid.” It made me think about my experience as a child of an addict and what Ava and I went through. Our mother was beautiful and people in the system were supposed to help us but they didn’t understand and they sure didn’t help us. Those people don’t help kids like me, they hurt kids like me. But, April is child abuse awareness month and that’s why my column is here - to bring awareness to the abuse and neglect that always happens when a parent(s) uses alcohol and/or drugs.

Miss Kathy told me about something I’ve never heard - “the terrible gift.” It’s like my favorite Bible Story - when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, Joseph remained faithful and became the second most powerful man in Egypt. He recognized his brothers, finally revealed himself to them and told them not to be afraid because what they did was meant for evil, but God used it for good. And that is the “terrible gift” - taking the awful experience of being the child of an addict and turning it into something good to help kids like me and their parents, too.

Remember what Miss Kathy says, “It Is Everyone’s Responsibility to Protect our Children. If you know a child who is living with this monkey on their back (living with drug addicted parents), call the hotline 1-844-264-5437. Our children are our future. Please, help them find security in a frightening world.”

Thank you, Miss Kathy! And, thank you for reading my column. Please send questions or comments to me in care of the Courier, [email protected] or write to me at Amarah’s Childrens Foundation “Kids Like Me” P.O. Box 354, Alamosa, CO 81101, or call (719) 480-4624, leave a message, and someone will return your call. If you know a kid like me, or parent who is an addict, or alcoholic, please tell him or her about “Amarah’s Corner, Kids Like Me” in the Valley Courier newspaper and tell them to contact me, or you can contact me on their behalf. And, if you know a kid like me, or parent, who does not have a Bible, but would like to have one, please, contact me and I will make sure he or she gets a Bible of their very own, “…and all the earth may know there is a God…” (1 Samuel 17:46, KJV).

My goal is to help kids like me, and I want to help their parents, too. Until next time, remember, Jesus Loves You, and JESUS IS LORD!