Coffee Talk {Living Outside the Stacks}Hi, and welcome to Coffee Talk. In case you’re new here, this is where I share some of the great and not~so~great stuff that I find on the web. Topics range from news stories that leave me scratchin’ my head to DIYs that I think are absolutely clever. And, who knows, there may even be a recipe thrown in here or there just for fun.

So grab a cup of coffee {or tea or whatever floats your boat} and let’s talk…

When I read the news that the two~year~old son of Viking’s running back, Adrian Peterson, died, my heart broke. I sat at my desk and fought back the tears, not just for Peterson and his family but for every child who has been hurt by or lost their lives to abuse. Peterson’s son died at the hands of his ex’s boyfriend. That man beat that sweet little baby to death. Someone that the mother was dating, someone that she should have trusted, murdered her baby…

This highlights something that too many mothers {and fathers} seem to forget: your child is your first priority. You cannot leave your child with just anyone and assume the child will be safe. When it comes to your baby, you can never be too careful. And if you know that your boyfriend or girlfriend is hurting your child and you do nothing, you are just as guilty as the person swinging his or her fist. Even more so, in my opinion.

You see, that person has no obligation to your child {other than to treat him or her humanely because that’s what civilized people do} but you, Mom or Dad, you have the obligation to protect your child at all costs. Even if it means walking away from a relationship and putting your life on hold until your child is old enough to care for him/herself.

When I was a single mom, I knew my life was no longer my own. My daughter’s health and happiness rested with me and my health and happiness rested with her. If she were hurt or in danger, how could I be happy and secure? Once I married and had more children, this same sense of responsibility extended to my other children and continues to this day, even though my children are now teenagers. I was blessed to marry a man who loved my daughter as his own, and has never distinguished between her and his biological children and I thank God for that.

As my children got older, I was able to take back my life and focus on my own happiness, but, lemme tell you, the need/desire/instinct to protect my babies still rests within me. And more parents need to take that responsibility seriously.

I write this as a survivor of abuse, a mother, and someone who knows what it’s like to try to date while raising a child on her own. It’s hard and, at times, it can be lonely, but when you chose to become a parent, you took a blood oath that you would protect your child with your very life. Like my aunt told me years ago, “My children are blood, everyone else is just a close friend of the family. They can be replaced.”

What had you scratchin’ your head this past week?


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