Dennis and Tina

I met an amazing woman a month or so ago. Her name is Tina. She is the mother of a remarkable little boy, Dennis. Dennis has Cerebral Palsy. He is chronologically 5 years old and functionally about 18 months old. He has amazing blue eyes, the longest lashes I have ever seen, baby smooth skin and a loving disposition.

I have been helping Tina to take care of her son during the times when she works one of her 3 jobs and needs help. I admire her tenacity, intellect, wisdom and uncanny ability to juggle much in her life. Her full time job is as a manager of a marketing company, her part time job is as a manager at a local restaurant on weekends and the final job is babysitting two sweet little girls whose father is a NYC firefighter. Did I mention she is also going to school to study law?

I have grown to love this little family in a very short time - God really does put people in our lives for a reason, more than one reason on occasion. I was actually planning to stay with Dennis and Tina for a season, a longer one than a month or so, but the remoteness of their home was a bit difficult for me to manage. We found each other on Craigslist - we were going to barter rent for nanny duties. I have tears in my eyes as I write this post - Dennis is under my skin and Tina is in my heart.

Tina and I were almost in an accident this week. As she used her amazing defensive driving skills to keep us from rear-ending one of the two recently-wrecked vehicles that collided in front of our eyes - I prayed for God to spare us. Tina and I have much in common - 11 year olds, kids with special needs, single parents and the desire to make our place in this world. Tina is looking for a new nanny to fill my spot - I wish her well.

p.s. the new nanny can't come after all - I will stay here and nanny part time and live in Hartsdale part time - a perfect solution.