Child abuse is too close to me. The emotional response lasts all day and the next...and probably the next and the next. It is why I generally don't tune into the news.
I remember the first feverish night my daughter had, as she cried out in pain and reached for her feet. "Owww...Owwweee..." We knew they did hurt, but we didn't know what to do. How do they hurt? What is causing the pain? The damage is difficult to measure and we will never know the extent.
We have watched her grow with underlying worry. Do her feet hurt? Sometimes or all the time? She probably can't identify it, as she doesn't know anything else. Will she be able to dance? Will she be able to play sports? How can we fix it?
Recently, her daddy observed that she favors one foot, and after careful evaluation by a physical therapist, it was confirmed she did not have full mobility in one foot. After tests to ensure she had sensation, therapy began which included heat and stretching. It was during this process, she matter-of-factly identified one foot as the one that doesn't work as well. My heart sank. We have never mentioned her feet. We have never discussed it, but she already knew.
Her tenacity to overcome the challenge is evident in everything she does. Insistent that she could ride without training wheels, she wanted them removed. Despite the guidance and help from dad, she couldn't figure it out, until she worked alone in the driveway for a day. In the end she taught herself how to ride her bike without training wheels, though she had to adapt her approach to be successful, but she figured it out at 4 1/2!
Now at night she sports her special footwear. Sometimes she cries out...though not as often now.
Of course this is just the physical pain. The physical pain is usually the easiest to cope with for millions of children around the world.
As people worry about the economy, as a society, we need to be ever mindful that the stress of economic hardship makes life more miserable for many children around us. We need to be mindful of our responsibility to keep the children safe. It may seem easier to turn the other check and mind one's own business, and frankly, I am not talking about a parent's decision to spank a child in frustration. We all know what child abuse looks like. Perhaps better yet, we should take the time to communicate with the parent, not in judgement, but in friendship, as they probably need support and encouragement to make good decisions. So often, they suffered the same treatment and without a different role model the pattern continues.
Our emotional response and horror to abuse should not end there. We should be vigilant and lend a helping hand or ask for help before it is too late.
Our society stands to lose so much if we ignore the plight of children. The way we treat our children says much about our society. What do we want it to say?
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