 2 |
| 2 year old, Lane Graves |
Picture it,
You and your family are enjoying your hard earned vacation at the funnest place in the world (for a child). You are relaxing and soaking in the moment. Your 2 year old child is playing innocently near the shoreline, when you hear a loud splashing noise and next thing you know you are witnessing him being captured by a 7 foot alligator and being violently dragged into the water...and just like that he's gone.
YOU fought with your everything to save him from the jaws of this animal. It wasn't enough. YOU watched helplessly. YOU experienced this. YOU are immediately achingly distraught and thoughts of HOW YOU could have let this happen to your child are overwhelming.
There is NO recovery to not only what you've just witnessed, and forever scarred with emotions you will have to endure for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Picture it....Picture it as if it were YOUR child.
You can't. You try to, but you quickly bring yourself back to reality and are relieved that it WAS NOT your child.
Matt and Melissa Graves DO NOT have that option.
So STOP.
JUST STOP with the UNNECESSARY negative commentary...STOP with the...
"If it were me's",
"I NEVER take my eyes of my child",
"I ALWAYS make sure I..."
"Why would they allow the child to go in the water...",
"Why would they not be near the child..."
"Didn't the sign say 'NO SWIMMING'"
Off the heels of the Harambe incident at the Cincinnati Zoo, some of the commentary I've seen and read on this matter is yet again ridiculous.
HAVE WE NOT LEARNED TO NOT TO BE THAT PARENT??
Why do we continue to judge OTHER parents and THEIR parenting skills? As if we are the PERFECT parent. The words 'always' and 'never' are two of the most dangerous words you can utter when speaking on a subject you've never experienced.
It was a tragic, freak accident. End of Story.
I lost my daughter in Disney World. By no means am I comparing the two. I am sharing the fact that for someone as neurotic as me about watching my children, I LOST MY OWN CHILD. The greatest fear I had before we embarked on our family trip came true. Despite taking ALL the safety precautions and chats with the children, it happened.
Shit happens. And NO ONE is immune to ANYTHING.
So Let's STOP.
Unless there is a situation where the parent(s) have been grossly negligent, let's ease up please.
Being a parent is the hardest thing a human being can take on. We are there to protect our offspring until they are able to be take care of themselves and be on their own. That's it! As basic at that seems we are here to love and protect them. It's hard enough on a daily basis, but even worse when you are being ridiculed by the world for your unintentional actions or lack thereof.
The support for the family has been tremendous. Let's keep supporting them. They have suffered a devastating loss. There are no words for this situation but no words spoken ought to be negative.
My deepest condolences to the Graves family on the lost of their baby boy, Lane Graves. There are no words. Our thoughts are with you during this tremendously difficult time.
Signed,
#NotAPerfectParent
Candilaria
No comments:
Post a Comment