A Parent on the Sidelines of Pain

A prayer by Tom McCrath

My heart aches to see you in such pain.

Valiantly, you set your chin to strive to cope, to understand and to rally your heart against such agony.

What is going on? I wish I knew.

You have grown old enough to say. "Don't worry. It's my problem and I can handle it."

And I suspect that is true. You can handle it. You will. But I remain a silent witness to the pain and fear the possible mistakes along the way.

I don't care about the mistakes: I care about you.

So here is what I promise:

Not to whisk away your pain and try to make it my own; nor attempt to cover it over with false happiness or minimize it with cliches or platitudes.
To let you take your own lessons and discover your own truths and find your own strength, and to gently offer my own truths and strength for what aid they may provide.
To care, deeply, with no strings attached.
To be on your side and by your side.
And though we may walk through he valley of darkness, to remain hopeful enough to see that we are guided by the light of grace and guarded by God's mighty arm.

Amen