Getting Perspective

Maybe it was gas pain. Or lightening and thunder storm. Chase had a restless night. She shrieked when we put her down and would buried her face into our arms when we picked her up. Not even nursing could comfort her for very long. I checked it off as a bad night and another possible episode of early teething symptoms, but it was really hard to stay awake and comfort the tiny inconsolable creature at 3 in the morning. So with a baby in one arm, I checked my blog roll. It's always a guarantee that there will be something interesting to read at Dooce. When I saw "A girl in the window" as a title I thought she might have some pictures of her beautiful daughter to share. But there was a link to an article instead. The story is incredibly haunting. With my infant daughter in my arm making her sleep noises, I read the saddest story ever told. As a mother, or just a human being, how could I ever try to understand how we as a civilized society could possibly fail this child in the most miserable manner? All day today, I keep seeing those dark eyes in my mind and my eyes just involuntarily well up thinking about those 6 or 7 long years she endured. Thank God, Chase knows that when she cries and is scared to be alone, someone who loves her very much will be there to pick her up. Thank God, she can find comfort in her parents' arms. I hugged her a little tighter, kissed her head, and felt her downy hair brushed against my face. Now that she was sound asleep, I couldn't put her down. The story of Dani will stick with me forever, especially when a fussy baby gets me frustrated at 3 in the morning.