Comments on: And Tonight, My Heart Broke

By: Jaelithe

Jaelithe — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 13:37:13 +0000

You know, my son has also said things like that to me, and I am home with for hours almost every day. I take short (as in, three day) business trips without him approximately twice a year. When I was volunteering like a crazy woman during the election, I still saw him for hours each day and half the time I took him with me to work.

And he still says stuff like that to me when I need to go somewhere. And it still makes me feel like a horrible parent, even though I am WITH HIM ALL THE TIME, like, to the point that you’d think he’d actually be sick of me.

I think the truth is that kids always want more mommy. Their need for constant affection and closeness is infinite, but our ability to give it is finite, because we are only human.

I think you are a very good mother, Erin, and I also think that one day your children will understand that you were home when you could be, and when you were gone, you were working to make the world a better place for them. Not every child can say that about their parents. I think they’ll be proud.

By: Allison

Allison — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:32:29 +0000

I have to admit, I’m tearing up a little right now.

By: Gregg Gallagher

Gregg Gallagher — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:47:13 +0000

OTOH – when I asked that same question of my son, some 25 years ago…

“What did you wish for?….
………… “Because you told me to!”

(True story)

By: april

april — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:29:36 +0000

That is heart wrenching. Remember that when they shout at the top of their lungs that they hate you and want you to never come home.

By: Meg

Meg — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:38:06 +0000

Oh, Erin. Did that just make you want to quit everything and never leave them again? How sweet, though!

By: sam {temptingmama}

sam {temptingmama} — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:42:09 +0000

Ouch. I’m sorry! They will be grateful, eventually…

@suebob, my god woman, you KILL me! LOL

By: Momo Fali

Momo Fali — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 14:58:12 +0000

Someday they’ll appreciate everything you’ve done. I’m sure of it.

By: A.J. Pape

A.J. Pape — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:17:08 +0000

Ouch.

Yeah, right there with ya.

I used to be on the road 2-4 weeks a month when my daughter was two years old. The first time she put her words together into a sentence was when I got back from a business trip and she said “today…daddy…home.”

I cut way back on heavy travelling shortly thereafter, with occasional relapses since.

By: Suebob

Suebob — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 07:35:54 +0000

He’s messing with your head! It’s PsyOps! Don’t let his short stature fool you – he works for the government.

By: Louis Gray

Louis Gray — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:11:46 +0000

Wow. Hard to go on business trips after that, huh?