Heartbreaker

Last week I was having lunch with my daughters at their school. One of their classmates was sitting beside me. She leaned over and asked me if Grace got to spend much time with me. I said yes (even though it never seems like enough) and she said "I wish I was Grace." Then she told me how she doesn't get to see her Dad because he cut his brother's throat. I had no idea how to respond. It truly breaks my heart that a 7 year old girl has to deal with these situations and the feelings that they bring about. I'm trying to figure out how to turn this experience and my feelings into action - I'll keep you posted. Until then, I hope this will remind me that I need to treat others with compassion because I never know what is going on in their lives, what burdens may be weighing on them, what may be influencing their actions.