Children Without Parents

I have been thinking a lot lately about how it must feel to be a child without parents. Bella and I were talking about it today and she said that I, "have made her who she is". I thought that was pretty profound coming from a 9 year old.

My earliest memory was when I was 4 years old and had to be put in the hospital for dehydration from a stomach virus. I was so scared when my mom left my side. I can still remember how horrible it felt to not have her there, almost like I was no one without her.

That memory makes me think of all of the children around the world without parents, my identity was tied to my mother, what would I have been without her? Very, very lonely and scared.

Maybe I am thinking more about this because of baby Nicky, every couple of weeks one of us (Simon, myself, or Bella) will say, "I can't imagine our life without him." As he grows and develops more of his own personality...with our influence, it makes me want to be that influence for more children.


Maybe I am thinking more about this because of Bella, she is maturing and becoming her own person, but her identity is still tied to me. Who's identity is children without parents tied to?

My parents gave me a childhood where I felt loved and safe. Following that example, I want to give that childhood to as many children as I can.