*hug* It's SO hard to watch that kind of thing happen and know that you can do nothing. You did what you could do; for a few minutes, you showed him what an adult who cared looked like.
I remember being in the parking lot of a strip mall, several years ago now, while we were living in Virginia. There was a little boy, maybe all of five years old, screaming and crying. I went closer to see what was wrong, and discovered it: his mother. His mother was getting in her car and telling him that he couldn't come with her, because he'd been bad. He was kneeling on the ground, screaming like his head was being cut off, begging to be allowed to accompany this harridan, promising to be the best boy ever there was. She kept saying, "No, no, I'm leaving you here. I don't want a boy as bad as you" until she caught sight of me, glaring at her with shock and venom.
I don't care what the law says, that's child abuse. Bruises fade a lot more quickly than that ever will.
Sorry for the downer story ... just wanted to say I understand!
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Date: 2009-08-27 11:15 pm (UTC)I remember being in the parking lot of a strip mall, several years ago now, while we were living in Virginia. There was a little boy, maybe all of five years old, screaming and crying. I went closer to see what was wrong, and discovered it: his mother. His mother was getting in her car and telling him that he couldn't come with her, because he'd been bad. He was kneeling on the ground, screaming like his head was being cut off, begging to be allowed to accompany this harridan, promising to be the best boy ever there was. She kept saying, "No, no, I'm leaving you here. I don't want a boy as bad as you" until she caught sight of me, glaring at her with shock and venom.
I don't care what the law says, that's child abuse. Bruises fade a lot more quickly than that ever will.
Sorry for the downer story ... just wanted to say I understand!