bad moms

Recently in Fresno there was a woman arrested for drowning her 2 month old baby, and planning to drown her other children.  When I heard that my first thought was, "that poor woman."  How tortured must you be to come to the point where that seems like the best option. I don't know much about her story.  I heard she was being housed in the hotel where it happened because of a domestic abuse situation.  On the news channel's Facebook page people commented with horrible attacks on her.

All I can do is pray for her.

Maybe she's not evil, maybe she is a woman who is so desperate, so devastated that ending her children's life was the best option in her mind.  Maybe she was protecting her children from what she thought would be a life of endless abuse.  We don't know.

What I do know that women with 2 month old babies are sleep deprived and prone to postpartum depression.  Add to that the stress of being a very young woman with two other young children, in a hotel room, who has suffered domestic abuse.  Should we assume this woman is an evil murderer?  I personally have decided to pray for this woman.  To send love and peace her way.  To hope that she can come from the dark place in the world that led her to believe that this was an option.

The next time you hear about a bad mother stop and think.  Before you judge her for not doing what you would have done try to understand why she did what she did.  Did she feel worthless, hopeless, backed into a corner?  Who was there for her?  Who saw that she needed help and didn't help her?  Now look around and make sure there are no mothers in your life who feel that way.  If there are then have the courage to reach out to her.  She may need you far more than you know, and these days are villages are silent.  If you are that mom then reach out, now matter how small your troubles seem to you.  There is another mother out there who will understand and help you.