Words Like Locusts Flew From Her Fingers

Neglect

Mark and I were having lunch at Don Pablos yesterday (tortilla salad without dressing and a cup of “prairie fire” bean dip with some chips — yum) and I couldn’t help but notice a woman and a little girl who were sitting a couple tables over.

The little girl was maybe 1 year old. She and the woman were sitting with another woman and her 7 or 8 year old son.

At one point the little girl began crying. As I see so often out in public, the mother completely ignored the child’s cries. Maybe she thought if she didn’t pay any attention to her, the little one would stop.

No such luck.

After five minutes or so of crying, the woman finally handed the little girl her ‘blankie’ — which, incidentally, I noticed had been half on the restaurant floor beforehand.

That helped a little but not much.

The little girl then leaned halfway out of her highchair in order to rest her head on her mother’s arm.

The mother just kept on eating and drinking and talking to her friend. It was one of the most pathetic things I’ve seen in a while.

That poor little kid. Pretty clearly, all she wanted was to be snuggled by her mother. All she wanted was some love and attention and, really, is that so much for a 1-year-old child to ask? Don’t they deserve that?

I believe there’s something psychologically wrong with a person who can be in a room with a small crying child and not want to immediately pick that child up and comfort it. And I’m talking about ANY child — even a stranger’s child. It’s horrifying to me that a person could be sitting right next to her own crying child and not try to comfort her.

This is neglect of the most insidious kind. What is that little girl learning from these experiences? That she cannot rely upon the one person she should be most able to fully trust.

I noticed, too, that during our entire time in the restaurant, neither of the women ever spoke to the little boy at their table either. Two neglectful mothers. Two children who will probably grow up at least a little bit twisted because they were never REALLY given the love and attention they deserved.

God, but there are some really loathsome people in this world.