I woke up today to more sad news. I could literally feel my heart breaking in two while I read the news of an alligator attacking a 2 year old child. I hugged my kiddos tightly and thanked God for their innocence and for another day on earth with the three little ones who make my world go round. They are the three who drive me completely and utterly insane, yet who make my life beautiful and fulfilled.
As a mother I try my best to foresee danger and protect my children every moment of every day. I make them hold my hand when they cross the street. I warn them about the dangers of being fearless on the playground and I keep them in my eyesight when we are out and about. I constantly tell them the oven is ‘hot’ and that it’s not safe to climb in high places. I do this because every ounce of my being (and then some) wants my children to stay safe. And every ounce of my being wants my children to remain unscathed. You can do everything right – buy all the organic dye free food, monitor every second of screen time, kiss them and love them and shower them with rainbows and glitter and yet still sometimes accidents happen.
And the truth is that sometimes accidents can’t be prevented. That’s life… there will be skinned knees, sprained ankles and black eyes from time to time. And we hope and pray with all our might that that’s the extent of it.
Unfortunately for some, there are life altering and tragic accidents that flip a family’s world upside down. There are zero words for what these families must be feeling, yet complete strangers on social media sit behind their screens and shame parents who are already in a horrific situation. Strangers from across the country seem to think that they could have prevented the unspeakable. They judge and assume this wouldn’t happen to them (pretty bold assumptions…) and instead of showing compassion and sympathy towards humanity they throw salt on these parents wounds.
I view social media as a beautiful thing, designed to strengthen and maintain bonds with people who we have crossed paths with throughout life. But I find it extremely unfortunate that at times it can become a divisive platform where people feel anonymous. Where people feel they can get away with blaming a parent for having their child get attacked by an alligator – or where people think it’s okay to judge another person’s parenting choices. Perhaps by blaming the victims, it helps create the delusion that we can control all possible accidents in life? Either way I just don’t understand it. I will never understand it really.
In a tragedy like this, I think many of us would agree that our opinions do not matter – they don’t change anything. So instead of casting judgment on a parent who is already going through Hell, why don’t we show compassion and kindness? Why don’t we hug our kids a little tighter tonight and be thankful that it didn’t happen to us… because the unfortunate reality is that it could. It could happen to even to the most sanctimonious keyboard gangster out there… and if it does, I will be heartbroken and will NOT be casting judgment. In a world where it’s so easy to see evil and to focus on differences, let’s try to unite – because after all, we all only get one life to live and we might as well be vessels of light. And in a world where we are surrounded by so much good – I am NOT willing to let strangers on social media change my view of humanity.
So well said. I’m so sick and tired of hearing people’s judgemental comments. These parents are going through the worse thing imaginable, and I’m sure they will blame themselves. Why are people so quick to ridicule and be assholes?
My thoughts exactly, stated more eloquently than I could.