Where did things go wrong?
I read this story somewhere and I felt it was apt to start this article with this story. There was a happy family comprising of four people, the parents and two daughters. Mom stayed at home, and the children were in their high school. All had their busy lives and spent quality time during supper. One day the elder daughter came home with puffed eyes. On questioning, she said it was nothing big. The mother did not understand, and thought she had a bad day at school. So after few hours when they sat for supper, the elder daughter looked fine and the mom did not prod her further. After few more years, this girl left to college and one day wrote to her parents that she won a first prize for an article. She sent that article home too. As her mom read it, she understood that those puffed eyes were not because of a fight but due to an attempt of sexual abuse. The mom cried for along time, for failing to carry out her duties as mother. I may not be correct with the facts of this story, but I remember it vaguely. This is a story which I heard few years back. The point here is that do we as parents, think that our children will never be attacked or do we not have that time to create the trust, so our children share everything with us? This story moved me to tears, for I knew how difficult that girl must have felt without having an emotional support from her mom. Also, the mom’s plight moved me, since she would feel guilty for not having been with her little daughter during those times. Where did things go wrong?
