all men are created equal...and then some experience abuse

Clare,
Sorry, I have immersed myself in domestic violence for the sake of 2 papers that I must write. I am looking at it from the perspective of the perpetrator and what is the best intervention for them. It pulls me back into the slime in some ways. I am most disheartened to read time and time again how the perpetrators are considered less than human. The interventions purposefully ignore their history of abuse or traumas, their mental health issues, their substance abuse issues...all in the name of maaking them take full responsibility for their violent actions.
We humans are so broken...we grasp at ways of making ourself better than another person...as long as someone else is worse off than I am I must be OK.
When will we stop hiding and see that Light in all beings?

I have had my biggest moments through tears, through that cleansing water. I have cried only a handful of times...but when I have cried my world changed...it was like a chink in the armour...each time allowing a little Light to escape and a little more life to penetrate the walls surrounding my heart.

I cannot imagine how I will feel when my last child moves out of my house. They are growing and maturing so fast. My youngest towers over me...even slightly taller than his 5'11'' sister...and his attitudes are changing...my influence on him decreases as his peers and teachers' influences increase. I am in awe of all of my children. I cannot hinder their growth and maturation...I can onlt do my best to assist where I am needed.

I understand the curiosity of the people that I met this past weekend. I understand their difficulty believing that someone would trade a high paying career for a career that pays less...what I don't understand is their apparent devaluing of social work in relation to medicine...is it all a question of financial benefit or do they really believe that medicine is superior? I wonder if their remarks are  motivated by a sense of the comparative lack of worth of what thay do. From my perspective both are equally demanding and satisfying careers...one just pays more than the other.

I have to turn in for the night...Husband has already gone that way.
I will check back in tomorrow...
until then,
Maggie