For me, it is just part of my everyday now: the empathy I feel for moms who have lost a child, or who have a child who is suffering.
Take for example, last night’s local newscast. As it turns out, one of the 4 soldiers killed in Iraq over the weekend (the 4 deaths that brought the total killed to 4000) is from a nearby town. The reporter was interviewing the 22 year old’s parents. Not only was I crying, but it affected the rest of my evening. (and it is clearly on my mind today). PFC Andy Habsieger was supposed to come home in 2 weeks. Instead, his parents are preparing for his funeral and his older brother will accompany his body home from Iraq. It turns my stomach to even think about it. Only 22.
Becoming a mom is like joining an exclusive sorority. While I can’t claim to understand Andy Habsieger’s mom’s loss, I do know what it feels like to love a child, and to feel what can only be called a ‘physical desire’ to protect them. I can only send her and her family my prayers and hope, truly hope, that I will never know the kind of pain she is feeling.
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