Empathy pains: A mother’s heart
One feeling I didn’t anticipate before I had children was how sad I would feel when my kids were sad.
When my children are experiencing painful emotions, it breaks my heart. Just like the boo-boos I kissed away when they were little, I want to hold my kids and make them feel better and make all the sadness go away.
I want to fix it all.
But, I can’t fix everything.
And that becomes one of the hardest realizations as a parent. We can’t take away all the “bad” our kids experience during the day. We can try to make a difference, and sometimes we can help. And, then, sometimes there’s just nothing we can do that will change the circumstances.
It’s these times when the best part we play as a parent is just “being there,” to offer hugs, encouragement or our time to listen.
–Linda Lynn
