Verbal Abuse

I haven't been able to get this out of my head all day, so I may as well write it down. This morning while Dean and I were having breakfast at McDonald's, we watched a mother verbally abuse her 5-year old boy.

The boy had dropped some piece of food--a piece of hash brown or something, I don't remember. The mother was mad. Although she never raised her voice above normal, she began berating her little boy. She said that the boy was always dropping food on the floor, never paying any attention, he was wasting money, this food was very expensive, he was dumb, lazy and disobedient, and what is she going to have to do to get him to stop? He hardly said a word. Over several minutes, she just kept at him, verbally jabbing him over and over again, until the boy softly cried; and then the mother was mad that her boy cried. When he stopped, she started her tirade again, repeating herself often.

Remember, this boy could not have been more than 5 yrs old--probably less.

When Dean and I left the restaurant a few minutes later, she was still at it. I may be projecting, but as I was leaving, it seemed that I could almost see the verbal blows on the boy's body. I made the comment to Dean that I wouldn't treat my dog the way this person treated her son.

This mother had no awareness of what she was doing; no awareness of the beauty of God's creation sitting in front of her; no compassion for whatever slight mistake was made; no awareness of herself in that moment.

And so I pray--without words because I don't have words that are up to the task.