Day 4 - This one, small world

If we were to run a statistical analysis, I wonder what the odds would be of the following: A woman who lives in Tennessee shows up to a Detention Center in Texas to translate and interpret for a week for the 1100+ women and children who are held as prisoners in ‘baby jail.’ She looks at the room full of women on one particular day and finds their names on a list. She calls out one woman’s name, one of four women she would speak to that day and one of about 20 women she would interview throughout the course of the week.

The young, female detainee and her son sit at a table with the woman from Tennessee and within minutes, they discover they know the same people in another corner of the world. Instantly it seems they have known each other for years, sharing stories of how this place they both know so well used to be. They share sadness about what has happened there.

It was a surprising moment for me, one of many moments throughout the week that forced me to remember again and again that none of us are alone. We are all connected. We are all brothers and sisters in this one, crazy world. And sometimes we find ourselves across the table from someone who knows a part of our story without ever having met. 

She will remain in my heart. I will remember the way she held her child. Her confident and strong demeanor. Her integrity and conviction to create a better life for him. For them. For if she stayed, her future could very well assume the same fate as millions of people around the world who suffer from persecution beyond their control.

For her, and for many, the risk is worth it.