Tomi,

I'm all for you getting to see those kids, and I've been happy for you when you have gotten to see them. Making them sit in the truck in front of your house was a rotten thing that their mother did. But I see her side of things. She is hurting too, and all she knows is that nothing she does is good enough. Yes, she makes mistakes. And it does seem to be sad but true that grandparents have privileges, not rights. I firmly believe that we are missing out on something when grandparents are not closely involved with their grandchildren's lives. But the fact is that she is the mother of those children, and she has the power of deciding who is allowed to see them. This situation has gotten to the point that it isn't going to be easy to resolve. The only way it will be worked out will be for both sides to back down and be more forgiving, loving, and tolerant of each other. Since she has the kids and you don't, you're likely to be the one most motivated to make it work. You are going to have to change the way you think about her. Even if you don't speak directly to her the same way you talk about her, she knows what you think of her.

My advice is probably worth about what you paid for it, and I know that you make your own decisions. It probably doesn't feel like it, but I am trying to help you. I think you are going to have to try to look at it from her point of view if you want to make any progress in being able to see those kids.

Love,
Wendy

<font color=orange>"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm. - Winston Churchill "</font color=orange>