Empathy Stops Here

From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be a mother. For one thing, I knew parenting could be done differently from the way I was parented. And somehow, I just knew that I would be great at it. I don't know if that turned out to be true, but I have loved every second--even when the seconds weren't that great.

Someone up there knew I needed girls.....there are so many things to love about little girls, not to mention being able to play dress-up again! Every stage brings new and delightful evolutions. Being able to witness their growth from little girls to beautiful, smart, creative, and yes, smart-mouthed young women has been the peak experience of my life. Whatever other accomplishments I have, they pale compared to witnessing the miracle that they are.

I have often said that my girls aren't mine. They came through me, and I was temporarily entrusted to bring them safely into adulthood. But both of them are soooo much more highly evolved than I could have ever hoped to be at their ages---they belong to the universe. I was just lucky enough to be chosen by them to walk through life with.

So, what is all this touchy-feely talk leading to? This: I will never have empathy for parents who are entrusted with the care and nurture of their children, but reject them; abuse them; neglect them; are too self-involved to hear them; are apathetic toward them.

We deal with the kids who are the brunt of this every day at PH. Kids who have been removed from their homes; kicked out of their homes; left alone in their homes; abused, neglected, ignored, used, thrown away. The ramifications are mind-boggling. Kids who can't connect; who can't trust anyone; who hate the world; who hate themselves; yet still long for their parents. Unbelievably, still long for their parents.....still long for their parents....still long for their parents.

I can't relate to these parents, don't want to relate, ever. I hope you won't either.