That’s Mean.

Or: A Time When I Spoke Up Against Cruelty

Guess what, folks… It's Story Time!

Back when I was first married, my ex and I went to visit my former father-in-law at his work. He co-owned some small local stores and so it was fairly easy to stop by whenever we wanted to just say hello. At the time, I was babysitting my nephew who had recently learned to walk and was now happily running around whenever he could.

Up and down the aisles of this small store, I “chased” my nephew, laughing. It’s so great to hear a child laugh, isn’t it? Especially the little ones. There’s complete abandon and zero self-consciousness to their presence, making their joy infectious to all those around them. My ex-father-in-law loved kids, too, and was joining in here and there, and we were all chuckling as my nephew let out squeals of delight. 

Until the laughter stopped. Abruptly. What happened next turned a really sweet memory into something instantly bitter.