The Damage Is Done

I'm usually all about the Brags but yesterday I witnessed something that simultaneously made my blood boil and broke my heart.

On a rare Last minute decision to take the day off, I decided to make a quick trip to San Angelo so eat lunch with my kiddos. Yes, it's over an hour to get there and an hour to get back for a 3 hour visit but it is totally worth it...Every. Single. Time! You see, I wanted these two children. I planned for and prayed for these two children. I thank God for blessing me with the responsibility of raising these two children even to this day.

Before leaving San Angelo, I ran into the mall there for a quick pedicure. As I was sitting in my chair, there was a young mother sitting in the seat next to me. She had a young child sitting in a stroller in front of her. She didn't speak words yet, just babbled. She had two cute little pig tails and a sticky face due to the sucker she had been given. Now, if you have ever been in a nail salon, you will understand that this would not be a fun place for a toddler that is strapped into a stroller. Especially when her mother, who was extremely rude to the nail tech, never bothered to look up from her phone to acknowledge this child...until this child demanded her attention with a few squeals. The next thing I know, this young woman's mouth opened up and Satan flew out of it in the form of a hateful, bitter ....bitch for lack of a better definition. She screamed at this beautiful child to Shut Up, not once, not twice, not even three times. She did this a total of 4 times in the 45 minutes we were in there. At one point she handed her her cell phone to try to keep her entertained but got mad and yanked it back out of her little hands and screamed at her again for getting it sticky with the sucker she had given her to keep her entertained in the first place!

Are you kidding me?!? My palm was itching to make contact with this young woman. How dare she speak to this child like that? And then I realized, this is more than likely the way she was raised as well. That's when my heart broke. Here she is, screaming at this child and it's probably the only form of parenting she has ever witnessed.

I can't help but wonder what this young Mom's voice sounds like in her daughters head. And worse than that, I can't help but wonder if these are the only words that she will remember as she grows into an adult and starts making life's decisions. This young mother has subconsciously taught this child her worth. She will grow up and think that it is ok for her significant other to speak to her this way. She will one day teach her own children this same lesson.

Schools can't fix this. Church can't fix this. Raising children is our own responsibility! A responsibly that should be our highest priority! God help us all!