Wednesday, April 18, 2012

THE LOVE OF CHILDREN

The little kids next door are very much like grandchildren with lots of love going both ways. Because I am sick right now, they are especially solicitous and very sweet when they visit. If I’m tired, I sit down and they play around me. I don’t ask them to do this and they don’t do it out of fear or a sense of responsibility. They do it out of love and because in their family children are children and not expected to parent others.

When they do “take care” of me, I keep it minimal because I’m the caretaker though I love their kindness.

This is not true of many, maybe most children in violent homes. When mom is injured physically or emotionally, too depressed to dress, feed or do laundry for them, the children take over. They do Mom’s work if they can; figure out how to survive if they can’t.

It’s a world turned upside down. Children taking care of a victimized parent. And it will happen as long as batterers get away with their vicious cruelty.

Have you slimed a batterer today?

Feel free.

No comments: