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My mom, Lula, relayed to me a tragic story about one of her friends. The two of them shared a room in a psychiatric hospital. It was the day before Easter. The day was sunny. All of the patients went outside after lunch to get some fresh air, sunshine, and to exercise.

“Want to play catch with me?” Lula asked.

“Sure,” Margaret replied.

The two of them played catch for fifteen minutes, after which they sat on the steps to marvel at the beautiful sights and smells. The temperature was about seventy degrees. There were some lovely flowers growing in the mulch; pink and red roses, yellow daffodils, and white Easter lilies. Butterflies and bees were flying in the air. The scent of freshly cut grass was in the air. Within five minutes the psych aide blew the whistle indicating that it was time to go back in.

Margaret and my mom decided to put together a jigsaw puzzle along with two other women. Soon it was time for dinner. Everyone lined up to go to the cafeteria.

After dinner, everyone lined up to get their medications. Shorty after the people got their medications, the community telephone, which was located in the hallway, rang. Lula walked hurriedly towards the phone.

“I got it.” she announced. “Hello, I’ll get her for you,” she said to the person on the other end of the line.

“Margaret, your husband James is on the phone,” Lula said in a loud voice.

“Ok, I’m coming, Margaret replied.

As Margaret took the receiver she said, “Thank you, Lula.”

After a few minutes, Margaret began to scream, “Don’t do this to me and our children! Please don’t! Please don’t! Please don’t!” she began to wail loudly. “Hello,hello,hello, she said, hung up, and continued to wail.

Everyone came running to see what all the yelling was about.

“What’s wrong?” people asked one after another.

“I don’t want to talk about it! Please leave me alone! Please leave me alone!” she said as she pushed her way through the crowd, ran inside her room, slammed the door, threw herself on the bed, and started to wail again.

“What’s wrong with her?” people began to question among themselves.

The psych aide, Larry said, “Come on everyone, let’s go watch T.V.”

Lula could not keep her mind on the T.V. show, she was worried about Margaret.

Tom, the other psych aide, peaked his head inside of her room once every fifteen minutes to make sure that she was not physically harming herself nor trying to commit suicide.

As the night wore on Margaret did not come out of her room. Soon it was 10:00.

“Come on everyone, it’s time for a snack,” Tom said. “After you eat your snack, please line up for your meds.”

Tom knocked on Margaret’s door. “Margaret, please let me in so that I can give you your meds.”

Lula was standing near the door. She heard Margaret say, “Ok.”

Tom motioned to Lula to get away from the door.

As he went in he asked, “Margaret, do you want to talk about it?”

“Yes,” Margaret replied.

Tom was in the room for quite a while.

“Everyone, it’s time to go to bed,” Larry said.

Tom came out of the room and closed the door.

Lula went to the door. “May I come in?” she asked Margaret.

“Yes,” Margaret said in a whisper.

“Are you ok?” Lula asked.

“No, I’m not ok.” Margaret replied.

“What happened, if you don’t mine me asking?” Lula said.

“My husband, James, told me that he is going to divorce me and put our four children into foster care.”

“Oh, my God!” Lula exclaimed. “Why does he want to do such a horrible thing?”

He told me that he was sick and tired of having to commit me to mental hospitals time and time again. He said that I was crazy, and unfit to be wife or mother. He told me that he wants to be free from this hell. That’s why, he said, he is going to divorce me and put our four children in foster care.

“I’m so sorry Margaret,” Lula said.

After that tragic incident, Margaret went into a deep depression.

The year was 1988. My husband, Ellis said to me, “Come on I’m going to take you to see Dr. James.”

We entered Dr. James’ office, my psychiatrist.

“What is going on, Renee?” the doctor asked.

“I can’t concentrate , my mind is out of control. A fight between good and evil is going on in my head. I see demons in this room right now!”

“She is not washing herself and has to be reminded to do so. Renee is in a daze all of the time, and shouting at some hallucinations. In addition, she has to be reminded to take her medications. She is not doing any housework nor cooking. I’m doing everything,” Ellis said.

“Is this true, Renee?” Dr. James asked

“Yes doctor, it’s true.”

“I’m going to increase your medication.”

Ellis took me home to care for me. He cared for me year after year, when I would have psychiatric episodes. In, addition, he would sit in on my appointments with the doctor to give input to the doctor on how I was behaving. Ellis continues to sit in on my appointments to this day. Amazingly, Ellis never separated from me. He definitely has not divorced me. Ellis was and is faithful to me. His roots run deep, and he is strong and sturdy like an oak tree. I thank God for him.

Written By Renee D. Warring. The Warrior Warring and founder of Uniquely and Wonderfully Made Ministries. Email: [email protected]

The next blog will publish on Thursday, January 21, 2021