In this heartfelt episode of Caregiver Conversations, we sit down with Romona Greenlee, a paraprofessional and full-time caregiver to her twin grandchildren, who she has raised since they were toddlers. Romona shares the emotional highs and everyday struggles of caregiving as a grandparent, from dealing with housing barriers and school systems to finding strength through faith and perseverance. She opens up about the systemic gaps that make it difficult for kinship caregivers to get support and offers advice to others in similar roles.
Guest: Romona Greenlee, Paraprofessional and Grandparent Caregiver
Hosts: Kristie King & Antonia Harbin Lamb
Topics Covered:
Resources Mentioned:
Empower Circle Meetings
Ruth Peterson Center
90 Joslin Street, Pontiac, MI
Meets once a month
Contact Information:
Email: socialcircle032@gmail.com
Phone: (313) 979-0371
Senior Regional Collaborative
Website: www.semisrc.org
Email: info@miseniors.org
Phone: 888-341-8593
Neighborhood Legal Services
Elder Law and Advocacy Center
Website: www.nlsmichigan.org
Phone: 313-937-8291
Caregiver Conversations Podcast – caregiverpodcast@miseniors.org
Kristie: [00:00:00] Welcome back to Caregiver Conversations where we explore real stories, challenges, and solutions that matter most to caregivers. I'm your host, Kristie King, executive director of the Southeast Michigan Senior Regional Collaborative,
Antonia: and I'm your co-host Antonia Harbin Lamb staff attorney at the Elder Law and Advocacy Center and program manager of Great Lakes Legal Mediation division.
Today we're speaking with a very special guest. Romona Greenlee. Romona is a paraprofessional and a dedicated grandparent raising her twin grandchildren, whom she has cared for since they were just a year and a half old. Now at 11 years old, they continue to be the center of her life. Romona is here to share her firsthand experience of the joys and struggles of grandparents raising grandchildren, a reality for many.
Yet one that is often overlooked. Romona, welcome to the show today.
Kristie: Well, thank you for [00:01:00] having me. Thank you very much. Welcome. We are really happy to have you with us today. Can you just start by sharing a little bit about how you became the primary caregiver for your two grandchildren? I.
Romona: Well, it all started back when the twins came to me.
They were my God kids. Um, their mother and father used to live with me and they were homeless in the car. And, um, with her struggles and with his, um, they just were never to maintain. So they got the income tax in, they ended up moving and they found a home. Well, they wouldn't able to resign in into it. So.
I got attached to the twins because they just wasn't treating them right. And I knew they used to cry all the time and everything. And then I told my daughter, I said something right? So I went to work one day and she called me and said, mama, Ashley went to jail. And I said, huh. I said she went to jail.
She said, yeah, and Brian got the twins. I wanna know if we can take care of 'em. And I said, sure. Just bring them home. Well, I had to work a double, and I tell you, when them twins seen me, they [00:02:00] just came in my arms just was like, they fell asleep, but they were so dirty and all that kind of stuff. But you know, I, I made it Do what it do.
Yeah. You know what I mean? And, um, I didn't know how long, but she ended up getting a nine month sentence. And, um, when she came out, I, um. End up serving her papers. To make a long story short, because they had asthma and everything like that, I couldn't take them to the hospital because my name wasn't on it, so I had to call the grandmother.
So that kind of frustrated me. So the next day I went and got emergency guardianship and um, from there on, I didn't look back. And I served her her papers and she didn't come to court. Mm-hmm. And then she called me and she said, well, what happened? I said, well, why didn't you come? She said, mama, I just wasn't in my right mind to come.
I'll be there next time. So I proceeded a whole year. They didn't come interact with these boys. I did genetic testing. I seen what I can do because at that time they were nonverbal. All they would do was just cry. Wow.
I
Romona: couldn't understand what they were talking about. [00:03:00] They would, they would use gestures and grab my hand and take me to what they wanted.
So with the help of Medicaid, um, I ended up just getting occupation and speech therapy outside of schools. Mm-hmm. Because I felt like the. Doing anything at that time, even though they had it in school. So when they started school, they wasn't able to go a hole for a day. They had to do a half a day. 'cause these twins was cutting up, they was running out the building that place.
But thank God for my job and my support. Mm-hmm. That was. Allowed me to leave and she was going on. So I started with a BA therapy with 'em.
Oh wow.
Romona: And that helped out a lot. But then the behavior started overriding what the A BA was. So they sent me to Oakland, I think it's Oakland. Um. It's out there on Waterford, it's a face-to-face program.
Mm-hmm. Because at this time it was covid. Oh. So they had to be on the computer. Uh, it was just terrible. But through the grace of God, ladies, I have made a [00:04:00] sacrifice of my life with these boys. I don't know where I would be without them right now, and what they have shown me and what I've shown now. Now for five years, I'm a peer educator.
Working up here knowing what EICI comes to repair is working to help them to be able to maintain their life. So it hasn't changed my life drastically.
Kristie: Wow. And I'm sure you've changed theirs as well. Absolutely. It sounds like it. I
Romona: changed theirs, but I created a social circle with them because they lack social skills and it hurts my feelings because they know they.
They kind of different and they have a speech delay and they pace and they walk, but they wanna be normal. And they are, they are normal. You know. Um, just hearing the story from bits and pieces that I did get from mom and from grandma. Mm-hmm. She drunk the whole time with them. She took Molly. She didn't want these twins when she found out she was pregnant.
She's a young girl. She's a beautiful girl. Mm-hmm. She's 30 years old with eight kids. [00:05:00] And it was just a part of her life that she didn't, and she said, Mona, I don't know where I would be without you. Yeah. 'cause you have made these twins be who they are today. I couldn't do it. And I said, well, I would've rather you come to me instead of that journey that I had to walk not knowing anything and was blindsided through it all.
Just hearsay. But we built a relationship. Um. Over time, but right now all I ask her is for TIME. And so every Sunday they go over there and they're over there from two to nine, and that's the only engagement that she has. Oh, wow. It breaks my heart.
Mm-hmm.
Romona: But I'm gonna take that ladies. Yeah, because. With the other struggles that she have with the other six kids, um, two of them that she don't have.
The two oldest boy, one has moved to Florida and the other one has went with the grandmother.
Mm-hmm.
Romona: And they all called me and said, Mona, I understand what you went through. I said, really? You do now? Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. [00:06:00] But I was trying to get y'all to understand it was too much for Ashley. Ashley didn't know what to say, how to, and then when dad went to prison, he's been in there for the last, what, eight years and he just got released and um, I finally had a conversation with him 'cause he's very, I didn't the, to come to the prison.
And I said Brianon with the troubles and everything they go through. Why would I allow these twins to see that? I never want them to see that kind of life. Mm-hmm. I put phone, I put money on the phone. You can call anytime we set up this page or whatever you is so I can send pictures to you. Mm-hmm. But.
Just understand the trauma that they live every day. They don't need to see that side of you. And then when you come out, you still don't have nothing to do with 'em. You don't call, you don't do anything. Mm-hmm. You don't engage with 'em. But I'm the bad person where he calls me a bitch. I say, well, next time you put on there, you put on, I'm a good bitch.
Doesn't raise your kids. Then stop my life. And I'm 59 years old ladies. [00:07:00] I have three beautiful daughter with three grandkids. But these twins in my life right now has made to be, and there's been some confrontation with my girls. You know, understand and with my grandkids.
Kristie: Understand. Yeah.
Romona: Understand. And I make a way, I make a way with my grandkids and my daughters, and I tell 'em, y'all placed these children in my life.
What did you want me to do? And they, and they, they really told me how they feel. Mm-hmm. And I get it. Yeah. I totally get it. Ladies change. Right? But what, but what do I do now? These twins finna be 12 years old. Wow. Right. And I couldn't see my life. What I worry about right now today, lazy. If I was to die today and I'm full, God, you ain't nobody stepped up to the plate with these twins.
That's what I worry about today. All this whole work and everything I put into on where are they gonna go? Yeah. Who's going to get them?
Because the mama and daddy ain't coming for 'em and you don't want 'em in the system. Right, right. And I don't want 'em in the system.
Romona: Right. So, you know, I got a village. I have a village right now that I have created.[00:08:00]
Um, I have a respite worker. I have a lady that used to mentor them at Center for Success. Um, she takes them and, um, if I needed a little break, she'll let 'em stay over there for the weekend. So I thank God for my village. Yeah. You know, and all the programs that I put them into as far as Mr. Cano assess, I put 'em in.
Identify your dream. They would pal, they would. Mr. Tom at Pontiac Youth Assistance. Um, they've been in bound together, they've been in Center for Success, so I don't stop.
Yeah. They
Romona: would keeping them socialized with, and they said, Mona, if you put
Kristie: me on one more program, I said, you know what? Keeping them socialized, keeping them, keeping them involved, that's what you gotta do.
That's what all kids
Antonia: want. Yeah. That is an amazing story, Romona. Thank you for sharing that with us. And I know that it's really difficult. You know, what you're doing is really difficult. You've told us that. Uh, can you tell us some of the biggest adjustments that you've had to make emotionally and [00:09:00] practically at this point?
Mm-hmm.
Romona: The big emotion that I had was I struggled by myself. Um, I didn't let nobody know what was going on, and I carried that burden to where I just got heavy one day ladies. And um, I said, I gotta let the community know what I'm struggling with. So I started off with my pastor, pastor Crump Door Faith and his beautiful wife, Ernest.
Mm-hmm. And I said, I really need to talk to y'all 'cause I've got some. Something on me that I just can't handle, and they said, what is it, miss Greeney? I said, I got these two twin boys and it's getting hard for me. I'm a single mother. I don't have that help and support and I just, and I just broke down and I just let them know the struggle that I'm had.
I'm tired.
Yeah.
Romona: Yeah. And it, and it was hard for me. It was hard because I've been a strong woman and a single mom with my three girls. I didn't raise any boys.
Yeah.
Romona: But I did. My little brother, when my mother died of brain and lung cancer, I [00:10:00] raised my brother from, he was 12 years old to now, and, but he was already pretty.
Practicing. My mother then already gave him something, but I just had to keep him in sports. But for the teams to be challenging like they did, and that was hard for me. And I looked every day like I was smiling and grinning. Mm-hmm. The ladies I was hurting inside. It was hurting me.
Antonia: Right.
Romona: It was breaking me down slowly.
It's hard. So my pastor got some, um, mentors out of the church and they helped me. And from there on I took it to the community. I built this village. And it was like a relief off of me. And then I part, I was in part of grandparent raising grandkids. Mm-hmm. And I met Miss Lisa. Okay. And with the help of other grandparents hearing they stories sometime I just shut up because my story is not as bad as what I hear, you know?
And I said, you know what, Mona? Look what God placed you at. Mm-hmm. You up here with another other grandparent raising their kids and hearing their stories and. [00:11:00] They're a little older than I am, you know, and I speak to 'em and I said, you know, I understand your struggles and what you going through, but these kids need to be placed in mentoring.
Find some programs for. Find something outside to at least give you a break. Yeah. And that's the only resite suggestions I can give to him and respite care. Mm-hmm. You know, use your advantages, you know? So that's been my main struggle. But the Lord is pulling me through ladies
Kristie: now he's pulled you through, it sounds like to me.
He's pulled you and your and your family through And the boys. Yep. And the boys through I think it, yes. It's a lot to think about. And I'm glad that you had your church home to go to. Yes. To provide that covering. Yes. For you as well, because the emotional toll can be a lie. You're doing everything it is, um, and trying to maintain who you are.
Mm-hmm.
Kristie: Yes, ma'am. Yes ma'am. As Romona, can you talk a little bit more about, you talk a lot about the community activities, so when you're engaging the community resources for the twins, are you letting them know the struggles that [00:12:00] you've had? How do you just engage them or are you just putting them in there and, and, and really just.
Just getting them just to be a part of that community, no matter if it's PAL or if it's other programs that you've had them in. How do you make sure that they're able to fit well within those community resources and support systems?
Romona: Well, when I first introduced the Twins, I do let them know I speak with PAL and let them know that they have special needs.
Mm-hmm. They have a speech delay and things like that, and I want this to be a safe place. And they'd be like, oh mon, don't worry about it. We okay with it. And every program that I am, and we started with Identify Your Dreams with Aliyah Sharp. I'll never forget, she started a trauma program in which her program was, um, gun violence.
But when she met the twins and she came to my house and she invited me to that program, there was other kids that was going through trauma with their loved ones being killed. I'm bringing Aiden Bralyn in a trauma from their mother and father. Mm. Different type of trauma, and I'll never forget it. Yes.[00:13:00]
Mm-hmm. And I'll never forget when they stood up and they told their story. Because now we're talking about our feelings, we're working it through. Mm-hmm. And they shared a story about how their mom was in jail and how Mona came along, and that's my godmom and what she's done for me, and how my dad never did anything.
And that whole room just looked at them. You know, and they both got it. They, they did it in pieces.
Mm-hmm.
Romona: And from that day moving forward, she had a trauma program, but we've been accepted to all the programs. Yes. They have a speech delay and they stutter, but they get their point across and all they want to do is be treated with dignity and respect.
Kristie: Wanna be treated like the other kids.
Romona: Yeah. Right? Yes, yes. So every program in my men, I'm always letting them know, um, Aidan Brave does, and they gotta feel the love from you. If they feel like you're not engaging with them, they're gonna walk away. They don't wanna be with that program. And I've seen that,
Kristie: but that's why they were so comfortable with you from the beginning because they felt that love from you from day one.
So that, that, that [00:14:00] definitely, definitely means a lot. Right.
Romona: And I didn't have very much ladies. I live in a Habitat house and I, I, you know, at the end of the day it, but it was my home. And when they started saying, I want to go home, I said, home, we're going home. They said, yes, mama, take us home. Yeah, take us home.
And that broke me down.
Kristie: But you know, you said you don't have a lot, but I think all you needed was the love. That's all you. That's it. Right? That's all. And they needed to feel it. Right. And they need to feel safe. You use that word safe. They needed to feel safe. And that seems like what they felt. And they continue to feel and the family.
Family feels Yes. Yes. With you as well. Well,
Romona: you know, you know how others have different things or whatever, and I'm just an old fashioned lady and I, you know, I didn't have games and my daughters never went into that PlayStation and all that kind stuff. Mm-hmm. But like they is now, you know, and they do have a game or so, but I'm very strict, you know, we have to go by the rules and Yeah.
And they pretty much challenging me now 'cause they had 12, so you know how that mouth right now.
Antonia: So that preteen.
Romona: And the girls, they've got [00:15:00] this little girlfriend that they, like I said, that's your girl and she's your friend. I said, you can't have a girlfriend if she don't know her. Multiplication, her subtracting her division.
She gotta be smart and her fractions, and she can't be your girlfriend.
Kristie: Remind what keeps you motivated, what keeps you motivated and grounded through all of these tough times. I know you have your faith-based system, but what else keeps you grounded and motivated? Because this seems like it's been a hard journey in some, in some ways.
Romona: Me being a part of the community.
Kristie: Mm.
Romona: When I started, um, a nonprofit that I'm working on right now and I'm going through a fiduciary with Identify Your Dreams, and I started this, um, empower Social Circle for the boys and we meet once a month at the Ruth Peterson Center. And when I started that program, it made me be more involved, um, in the community, seeing what the community needs, not just what I needed.
There's a lot of people out there hurting, so, and I started that, um, and I'm up to. [00:16:00] 25 kids. The most I've had is 48 kids. Wow. Wow. And when, when I have Aiden and Braden get up there and speak, 'cause I have a young advisory and when they get up there and they speak and they talk about this program, how it changed their life, how it motivates them and what I've done, and I be crying.
And they said, Mona, don't cry because you made us be who we are today. We able to get up and talk about our program and we didn't have some pretty neat people that come to our program. So you ladies, if you wanna volunteer and if you wanna come, I would be more than happy to have you come in and speak to my children.
Put us down. Put us.
Put us down. Yeah, that'd be great. I sure
Romona: will. Yes, yes. But just building up my community and just being a part of it, sweetheart.
Antonia: Yeah. It seems as though, well you talk a lot about community and you obviously have received a lot from the community, but you have given community from what your organization and just being a part of the boys' life.
I was [00:17:00] wondering. Is there anything, if you had a wishlist about resources or something you could have known ahead of time before this experience, what can you share with the listeners about, you know, what piece of knowledge would you give them going into a situation like this?
Romona: What I would give in my learning experience with Aidan and Braylin, um, look for the resources and try the resources because a lot of 'em will steer you away.
Um, when you, when I talk about my children, like I said, I didn't know about EICI, anything like that, that had to do when, I remember when I was in my first IEP with Aidan and Braly and they telling me about my boys and I was too, you know, 'cause I didn't know what was going on with all them and they saying what they was doing.
But I see it at home. You know, so that made me connect more and getting involved to know and walk the talk and do it to be able to understand them. So, but in this [00:18:00] community that I'm in, um, I. It has helped me to motivate myself, be a part of myself, and find me within myself, um, just talking to different pastors, being a part of different programs and just get pretty much getting myself out of there.
But if I can offer anything to anybody, start with your local. Um, you have pal, you have Pontiac Youth Assistance, you have the Lighthouse, you have osha, um, I have access with, uh, can Phillips. Be a part of these programs and not be ashamed. Mm-hmm. Show someone your struggles. Tell somebody your struggles.
That's what they're here for in this community. And I had to learn that ladies. Yeah. Because I was a private person like my mom. Mm-hmm. My mom grew up as single and back in the day how she was, and I just felt like I can do it, but. Once I got these twins and I seen the support that they needed that I was not able to give it to 'em as my children, how I raised them.
Yeah.
Romona: I knew I had to connect with somebody. [00:19:00] I had to share my story. Mm-hmm. I had to get myself out there and I still do it today ladies. 'cause I'm not perfect. I learn every day. Absolutely. Of what to do from getting, uh, getting the twins is, you know, just going to the dentist. How. It freaks them out different, just getting shots, you know?
It is just, it's, it's a hard hassle.
Mm-hmm.
Romona: And I talk 'em through 'em. I've never talked to this much in my life, ladies, and you couldn't get me up here 10 years ago to get up there and talk to you guys. But for me to share my story with them and how they learned and how the work I put in, I had to realize what I put in there, what I invested to them.
That's the honesty. And your honesty. The The honesty.
Kristie: Your honesty is, and now I'm
Romona: working, now I'm working on homelessness because I have a brother that's homeless in Tennessee, so now I'm giving back to the homeless. And that's what we're doing as far as volunteering in it. Because when it hits homes, ladies, you know what I'm saying?
Changes, it's a different story.
Kristie: Perfect. You know, I always say your purpose follows you. You never know. Yes. You would've never [00:20:00] thought over 12 years ago that. You would've been in this position that these little boys would've come into your life and made changes to your life where your purpose We don't, we never know.
We think we know what our purpose is. We feel what our purpose is, but sometimes we just gotta listen and, and take that guidance. And it is really, I feel like you've listened, you've listened to that higher power to take that guidance mm-hmm. To be where you're at. 'cause you could've kept pushing back on, nah, I ain't doing this.
I'm, I'm not doing that. I, I do have one more question for you though.
Romona: Yes, ma'am.
Kristie: What are your hopes for the future, not just for your grandkids, but for other grandparents raising their, their grandchildren? What are your hopes?
Romona: I hope we can get more resources out here because like I say, some of us is on a fixed income.
I. Sometimes we don't have the money to provide or to get out and to do things, and I just want people to understand, um, we need a break sometime. You know, I suggested to Lisa if they could have something that's grandparent raising grandkids and we can raise money [00:21:00] just to have a day out to ourself. I. Mm.
You know, if all these grandparents or whatever, we come together, I don't care if we just socialize, if there's a place for the kids to go, or us ladies, we go get a spa. Mm-hmm. We gonna do this. And the men just getting together just to be able to just come together, not worry about the kids. And just be, listen to one another at a different level.
'cause when we here, we got the kids involved and things like that. And it'd be hard just you, sometimes we gotta get up and redirect our kids. Or sometime I gotta put my hands up and say, I'll see y'all later. It was good seeing y'all because when they get in that state of mind, I got one that would do it.
The other one be like, it's too noisy. My, my patients getting short more. My patients getting short. Mm-hmm. So I know I need to exit. Because after that he gonna start flipping over tables. He, he's gonna make his way known. Mm-hmm. Because he done already warn me. That's one thing I do realize when I'm in the community with Aiden Raylin, he'll say, Mona, I can't do it.
And I'll be like, okay, we just gonna work it out for a minute. I said, just get you something to eat. And he'd say, okay. And he be working with you. But [00:22:00] he know when he get the rocking, it's time to go. It's time to go. And I ask them, they be like, oh Mona, you leaving? I'll be like, yeah, go. I try. I tried it. I tried it ladies.
I wanted to try to see it. But sometimes that one, he just can't do it. He done walked away many places with me. Mm. So just a little bit more resource for us, grandparent raising grandkids. I wish the state, the senator, anybody will listen to us. 'cause we need more programs. And I can't emphasize that enough for Lisa.
Lisa doesn't have enough. Monies that's coming in. And they didn't, they didn't cut our time. We used to have four hours of time. Now we down to an hour and a half to make it happen. Just for us to be on a Zoom call. You know, the funding got cut.
Mm-hmm. So
Romona: we don't have much resources no more. And she's really trying, Lisa really is, I try to give my all, Lisa, Lisa's the wonderful person.
I don't know where we would be at today. And we, you know, without that.
Kristie: We definitely thank Lisa for that. And that's Lisa Gro over at Oakland. Lisa Gros, yes. Over at Ulsa, and we've interviewed [00:23:00] her as well. So yes. If you hear this, this, uh, podcast, you can go back and listen to our podcast episode with Lisa Broski Anton.
Antonia: Yes. Well, we, yeah, we've talked about the resources and definitely the things that are needed in this walk as a kinship caregiver. Is there anything else that you could think of, Romona things, even if you think about, uh, your own care or things of that nature. And I'm an attorney, so I always wanna step in and talk about even the legal authority.
Um, is there anything in that process that was really daunting to you or something that you change about that process even?
Romona: Like I said, right now I'm just full guardian. I have not took the rights away from their parents. Okay? Because we sit down a long time ago and we had an agreement to where she said, [00:24:00] Mona, I understand what you're doing, but I want to give Aiden and Braden them a chance if they wanted to come back to me.
So that's why I never pushed the issue to, um, adopt them. I, I really wanted to give them a chance, but I wish I hadn't changed that a long time ago. 'cause Braly be saying, Mona, can you please adopt me? Yeah. My mother and father doesn't love me. Oh, okay. And I really tried to work with her, but now that she's only gives them time on Sunday and, um.
But I believe in family.
Yeah.
Romona: Right. You know, when they haven't heard from her a whole week, I'll pull up on her, I'll pull in the driveway and let Aiden braly them get out. I'll sit in the car and check my emails. She be waving and I say, Hey, you know, anytime. 'cause I never want these boys to feel like I stop them from their mama.
Right.
Romona: Never. Never. That's right. I want them to see for theyself and they will share their story one day and they gonna write a book about this.
Yeah. You know? Yeah.
Romona: Because the struggle and how they made it through.
Right.
Romona: How [00:25:00] they made it through. And I know I put that emphasis in there, but they did it.
They self, because they go to Pontiac Middle School, they in the EI program and I told them, you've been in it for two years. We're mainstreaming out. They've mainstream it into three classes. Okay? Because you're going to get back into regular gen ed where recent courses, I just wanted you to get your tools, get, you know, be able to get your breathing, um, just work on yourself.
And he said, Mona, I'm done it. I've done it. I've listened to what you're saying, I'm ready, but I don't wanna be in that EI program no more. I said, no, we got a IEP coming up, you know? Yeah. And we're gonna do what we need to do. But this one thing, ladies, they mother has never came to none of their school settings.
She has never been involved with their medical, um, anything that makes them feel good when they get an award. And I always call her and I share with her.
Mm-hmm.
Romona: And I say, Ashley, why won't you come? Are you embarrassed? Don't be embarrassed. You're their mother's. They know who I am. That's but let them see you [00:26:00] baby.
Let them see your beautiful face. You are a beautiful girl and she, you have your challenges, you have your struggles. And she does. She has a lot going on with herself from her mom, from her dad, you know, a lot of things that's just going on.
Kristie: And
Romona: so you gotta
Antonia: figure
Kristie: life out.
Antonia: She does. All right. Now, Romona, would you, would you ever think about, uh, adopting them or would have you, is that something that you would move forward with after thinking about it?
I mean, I know with the termination of rights and things like that, that is a, uh, obviously a big thing, but is that something that you think about doing in the future or.
Romona: I'm thinking about doing that within a year. Dad is out and he's released from prison and he's in Georgia.
Mm-hmm. So
Romona: mom already gave me the consent to the judge or whatever.
She's fine with it, but I have to go through him right now. Right. Yeah. He, he still stands on it and, um, he said he trying to get himself together to come get his twins, but I asked him this question. I said, why you coming for these twins? You [00:27:00] got six other kids out there. Are you going for them? Mm-hmm. Why the twins?
Why the twins? The work I didn't put into 'em. You got two boys that's 14 and 15 years old. You need to be trying to get them because these twins is well taken care of and they okay. But if you wanna come for me, I'm ready. I'm ready. So I might have to call you, you know, because he'll never get them for me.
I'll fight to the end of the day. You, you'll never take these twins away from me, the work I've done and put in for them. You don't love them, you don't care nothing about 'em. 'cause you don't do nothing for 'em. Nobody, nobody but Romona Greeny that has ever did anything for these twins. And I don't look for nothing in return.
I just watch it and I see, don't nobody give them nothing. When holidays birthday, Christmas come around, we don't receive nothing, but we give, yeah, I make sure they acknowledge their mama. On birthdays. They grandmama, but we don't never receive nothing. We come over there with a lot of gifts, but when we [00:28:00] walk out, we just walk out with love.
Mm-hmm. And I've told them that, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Right. But they be upset. They didn't give me nothing and we gave them all that. I said, don't worry about it. Give them a kiss. Tell 'em you love them and let's walk out the door. Yeah. That love. Mm-hmm. That love because you get your blessings.
I tell, don't worry about it. Absolutely.
Kristie: Absolutely. Mm-hmm. You getting your blessings. You get, believe me, you, you getting, you getting your blessings. Being able to, you know, we definitely appreciate you coming on. Mm-hmm. And being honest with us. Yes. And being raw with us and telling your story. I think that's an important part of being, you know, of having people on our caregiver conversation podcast.
Because we want to know you. We wanna know because your story is gonna resonate with somebody. And I know you said there's people you know, you listen to people's stories that's worse than yours. Yes. But just know that this story will hit someone in this podcast land. And so we definitely. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us today.
Your journey, thank you, has definitely been a powerful example of [00:29:00] resilience. Definitely love for the boys and love for yourself, and the challenges that a number of grandparents face when stepping in as a caregiver. So for those who wanna connect with you and learn more about your experiences or find out, uh, support, where can they reach you at Romona?
Romona: My email is social circle032@gmail.com. My phone number is (313) 979-0371. I have a Empower Circle that we meet once a month at the Ruth Peterson Center in Pontiac. It's 90 Joslin Street. My email, just reach out to me. I would love to have a conversation. We can go sit down and we can talk. Um, I would be more than happy to try to get you the resources that's in Pontiac.
Wherever you is, we will figure it out. I'm just here to help. You know, I have a story to share, you know, to, to help someone that what I've been through and I don't mind walking 'em through. Just gimme a phone call. I'll go sit in with your IEPs. I'll go sit in at the doctor to see what resources we [00:30:00] can get for you.
I'm here for you. Just reach out to me.
Kristie: We'll take it, and I'm sure others will take it as well. So thank you again, Romona. And to our listeners, if you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend or fellow caregiver. For more resources and updates, follow us on social media or visit www.se mirc.org.
You can also reach us at info@miseniors.org, or you know you can call us at eight eight eight. 3 4 1 8 5 9 3.
Antonia: And to learn more about neighborhood Legal Services Michigan Elder Law and Advocacy Center, please visit www.nlsmichigan.org or call 3 1 3 9 3 7 8 2 9 1. Thank you again for tuning in, and remember, you're not alone on this journey.
Until next time, take care and keep [00:31:00] caring.