Skip to main content

Court date

Child abuse stories: they both challenge and sicken me. 

I'm torn between compassion and judgement, anger and mercy, and all the while I shudder at how many lives are changed, often irrevocably damaged, in one instant by one terrible choice. 

 For some it's the same heinous, misguided, well-rationalized choice over and over again.

 I scratch my head at all the poor choices I've made, and loved ones have made, that really did make sense at the time. And I imagine that these individuals — all somebody's baby at one time, all full of potential at one time — probably thought their decisions made perfect sense, too. 

 So what sets us apart? If all sins are equally reviling in the sight of God, what sets us apart from the child molester, the spouse-abuser, the porn-heroin-alcohol-gambling-addicted person? Whose misguided decisions are more unforgivable?

Maybe that's the lesson: compassion. 

I hate what they did, but the fact is, at some point a mama looked in her baby's eyes and dreamed a world of good for them. This is how they turned out. Who's heart remains unbroken?

 I can't get sucked into their evil. But I can't turn my back on their humanity.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mertensia Bluebells: a breathtaking 'walk in the park'

I've heard tales of the spectacular "Mertensia Park bluebells" for years. But despite my best efforts to juggle work and home schedules, life never lined up so I could experience them first hand. At last I was able to visit this week — twice — and discovered hidden treasures and peace of mind both times. Healing, even. I took my Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM   along to see how it would handle closeups and longer distance shots, and it was good to forge a relationship with what I've previously considered to be my uni-tasker.  Walk with me....  
Post a Comment
Read more

Our images, our legacy: ensuring our photography outlives us

That perfect shot. Oh, the time we’ve poured into planning, trekking, stalking, calculating, positioning and finally focusing in order to capture it. And often it's in a remote location, in extreme cold or heat, at inconvenient hours of the day or night. That's followed by the endless hours of editing, tweaking, education and skill development to coax it into perfection. And let’s not forget the small fortune we’ve poured into procuring the toys and tools that fill our multiple camera bags to help make that perfect shot even possible. So we’ve captured the images — lots of them, if we’re lucky. And they’re gorgeous. Now what? How can we move them beyond our computer monitor and out into the world? How might they help enrich the lives of our friends and families and those in our community? And how can we ensure our photographs — the product of our time, passion, creativity and cash — will outlive us and become a legacy for future generations? My grandfather was a career
Post a Comment
Read more

Perspective

In this composite using my macro rose with a friend's drone photo, I combined his expansive perspective with my intimate point of view.  It's a great analogy for how I like to create — examine all sides of a subject before shooting, writing or forming an opinion about it. Both views are essential, and it's often of great benefit to view them at the same time.
Post a Comment
Read more