Rebirth

I am just back from another successful collaborative divorce training sponsored by the Family Division of Maryland's Administrative Office of the Courts.  These trainings always come at such interesting times in my life.  Last week, I was involved in a brutal temporary visitation hearing.  The needs of the child were lost in the chaos of the needs of the natural parents and the personal agendas of many of the players.  It broke my heart and caused me not for the first time, to wonder about the future of family law.  Then, of course, came the collaborative training.  We trained another 30 professionals to practice collaboratively.  My favorite part of the training is always the closing circle.  I want to hear what the learners are taking away from the training.  Are they simply thanking us for 3 days of training?  Thanking the AOC for sponsoring it (with which gratitude I join)?  No, by and large, they said they were thankful that there was hope for the practice of family law and the families who find themselves subject to it.  They are thankful that because of this practice, fewer children will be traumatized.  They are glad they have a new way to help people move forward.  I was feeling kind of down heading into this training because of my trial.  Now, I too feel hope.  Here in the Trenches.