Life lesson for Brooke that I wished she didn't have to learn.

I am posting in an upbeat color to try to make the situation more positive than it is. It bothers me most of the time, but this weekend Brooke and myself tried to make it positive. Sometimes I just want to cry b/c of how it makes her feel and how I have no control over it. I have talked to her Dad about it ,but he gets defensive. We have even seen a court ordered child pychologist b/c of it. It helped a little with the physical part of things, but not with the emotional part of it. Many of you all know what I'm talking about and I won't go into great details about the past, but I will talk about this weekend. Brooke got into the car and as always I ask her day went with her Dad. She says great. (And I always on purpose don't ask about her stepmom Amanda b/c of this reason. Maybe I should keep talking about it every weekend so she'll have an outlet to talk about it.) She then says "Amanda said she can't wait for me to go home and I have ugly hair." (I hear the ugly hair thing every weekend.) Needless to say Brooke was only there from 9:30am- 6pm. Brooke then asked why Amanda is so mean to her and what can she do about it. Of course I say some hurtful things she could say back to Amanda, but we both decide that that would just make Amanda mad and she would take her anger out physically on Brooke. We then decided the best thing at the moment and only thing Brooke can do is to pray for God to change Amanda's heart. Brooke seemed excited about that. I told her not to expect a miracle and if she gets one then it would be extra special, but that God might not change the situation b/c it is in his plan for Brooke. I told her that maybe God is making her go through this to help her be a stronger person or to increase her faith in some way. Brooke seemed content with that and said she'd pray for that every night. I am having to work through the hateful feelings I have for Amanda and I guess that is what God is doing for me with this. I want to pray for harm to come of her, but I won't. I am trying to pray for her heart also. I am mainly praying for Brooke to get through this. Maybe a miracle will happen as if social service will have some reason to investigate her other 2 children and she has to be removed from the situation? We could only hope. No I hope she is not like this with her own children. I tried telling Brooke to ask to come home, but she said she gets in trouble if she asks to come home. She also said she gets in trouble when she tells her Dad what Amanda says. She did say in the future she won't have to go. Her Dad better fix the situation or he will loose an important relationship with his daughter in the future. She is already planning it in her head. She said she'd just call him. Please pray for her. Thanks, Brandi

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