loving our child despite the hard times is what builds trust. This call for our endless thereness is one reason parenting is so challenging, but it is also why it has the potential to radically change us. Kids give us the opportunity to love another person not because they are always lovable, but because we’ve made the commitment to love them.

My heart ached because of the obvious social injustice that permeates every aspect of our society but there was more. I realized that the story drew me in because -- if I’m being honest with myself -- I could genuinely relate to the motivation of those parents.

Over dinner my friend Katie shared her biggest take away from taking my parenting series some many years ago. She said,

“It was this simple yet profound concept of communicating the message of love. For me this means continually focusing on the big picture with my kids and letting them know that I love them. I apologize for my behavior when I lose it with them. Now, they’re used to that and even though I make plenty of mistakes and am not a perfect mother, I’m certain they know how much I love them. Every day I’m aware of the value of communicating that love, even in the smallest interactions.”