Dear Readers, Today, as we celebrate Mother's Day, my heart is with the countless mothers like myself who are facing unimaginable challenges within the family court system. I was divorced in 2011, maintaining primary custody of my sons who lived with me for more than 12 years, but for 655 days now, we have suffered through the perils of this system. It began when I sought to pursue higher education outside of my immediate county, a decision that should have been celebrated as a step towards a brighter future for my family. Instead, it became a battleground where my rights as a mother were questioned and ultimately disregarded.
So how best to punish a woman like me for striving to fulfill her ambition? Deny access to her children, of course! Get her where it really hurts! How dare she try to achieve upward mobility for her family? Foolishness! She must be stopped, treated like she’s a criminal and completely stripped of her rights! Duh! She should know better than to try and make something of herself. Only dads are supposed to do that, not moms!
The pain of being separated from my children, of not knowing when I’ll be able to hold them in my arms again, is indescribable. It’s a pain that many moth- ers understand all too well. Our legal system, meant to protect the best interests of children, often falls short, leaving families traumatized and our hearts shattered.
