Imagine a room....picture it in your mind....
For each of us, we probably had 4 wall and a ceiling - maybe we all had a door - some of us had a window. It may be bright or dim - decorated or empty - full of wonderful memories or completely foreign to you.
Every time I talk to Bunny, I learn a little more about the room that she is in. I can't see it anytime soon - but with another 5 minute phone call, I can picture a little more. This is the bittersweet aspect of talking to her. As the reality of her time in DOC takes shape, it simultaneously eases my fears and accentuates the reality of her imprisonment. I am both grateful to better picture her surroundings and completely undone by her reality. It's a constant tension that I doubt will ever leave completely. For all of you praying that we would connect, thank you. That was the longest I have ever gone in my life without speaking to her. I'm hoping that's the record and we won't break it anytime soon.
She said she is fine. She was scared the first few days and anxious, but that has mostly dissipated as she has gotten into a new routine. She is nearly complete with Intake Processing, which has had her with 2 other girls staying in one room pretty much all the time. Their meals are in their room. They complete school work packets in their room. They pretty much only leave for showers, the library and therapy.
Tuesday (March 31) she will join general population as the newest member of Unit 2. (Not sure yet how many other girls that will include.) Her case worker effective 3/31 is Ms. Browning. Starting Tuesday, I will be able to schedule a weekly 10 minute FaceTime call with Bunny. This is huge because we will actually SEE her and we can schedule the times for when we know David will also be home. (He has missed the past 2 calls.)
She has already been to 2 therapy sessions and has a meeting scheduled with the psychiatrist to determine her overall therapy program and any medications. We are expecting him to prescribe an anti-anxiety med.
She has started one of the court ordered programs, which involves her doing reflection on her own and recording answers in a workbook and then discussing it with her therapist. She will start the other programs the court ordered once she is in general population, as those are group sessions.
She has been doing academic work using a packet of worksheets that were deemed appropriate for 8th grade work. She said it was super easy. Starting 3/31, she will be doing online school with the rest of the general population. She has also continued to read voraciously - reading about a half dozen books since she arrived on 3/18.
Her room in the house we are buying has rich dark hardwood floors. It has big open windows and a ceiling fan. It's painted a light color, but she can paint it any color she wants once she's there. I can picture that room. I can picture her in it. I can picture walking down the hall and poking my head, seeing her watching a video on her phone snuggled under her fuzzy. It's not where she is - but it's a lot easier for me to picture that image than it is for me to picture her in LaPorte.
This is going to feel like forever. And then it will be behind us.
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