I am sure many of you have seen the news about the 4-year-old boy who fell in with the gorillas at Cincinnati Zoo which resulted in the killing of Harambe. It is a somber situation, and it breaks my heart that a beautiful creature had to lose its life. However, something else has broken my heart, and that’s the hate I have watched thrown at this mom, who I am sure was terrified for her child, no matter how calm she seemed to be in the video. I have watched people say she should be killed, sued by the zoo, and many other horrible things. It’s made me realize there are many out there who are either not parents or who are perfect parents in which their child had never had a scratch on them because otherwise they have likely wrapped their kids in bubble wrap and never left their home to avoid any situation that could be unsafe for their child.
I want you to know, I get it, I’ve been there and while my situation wasn’t my child falling into the gorilla enclosure it was my 1.5-year-old getting loose from my hand while I tried to get her 3.5-year-old brother situated in a parking lot. She was so close to being hit, I froze and screamed louder than I’ve ever screamed in my life. It was the time my 2-year-old climbed on the hot stove while I was changing his 2-month-old sister’s diaper and burnt his foot so badly. It was the time my 5-year-old daughter jetted away in a department store because she knew where the bathroom, while I let go of her hands for 10 seconds to look at a price. I get how it can happen, and I wish others could wrap their heads around it too. I guess until they are in a situation where their child is in danger from a split second they will never understand how it feels, and it’s easy for them to throw hurtful and hateful words out.
I have seen people say horrible things and how you are a neglectful parent and it hurts my heart for you. Because I understand what it’s like to have one second where your attention is elsewhere, and your child is no longer there or even if, at home, they are into something you thought was not accessible. I am so sorry for all the hateful words you have had thrown at you by people who must be perfect parents because otherwise they wouldn’t be so hateful. I am so glad your child is safe, and I do hope this helps you to avoid something like this happening in the future whether at the zoo or the parking lot. I don’t blame you because I know all too well what it’s like to have a child that is fast and furious. A child, that even when punished resorts to jetting off the next time you are out because that’s just their personality.
I’m not mad at you because I know all too well what it’s like to have a child that is swift. I hope you take solace in that there are parents out there who understand what it’s like not to be a perfect parent. As much as I hover you would think my kids would have never had a scratch on them or disappeared from me in their lives, but even us hover parents who keep our eyes on the kids as much as we physically can have instances where they get away from us.
It seems today’s society doesn’t care about how scared you must have felt (even if you sounded calm) when you saw your child in with an animal who had the potential to kill your child. Yes, it’s a tragedy that a beautiful animal was killed, but it’s a miracle that your son is alive. To all those persecuting this mother, I hope you never have or will never experience a moment when your child hurts themselves or gets out of your site even for an instance because I don’t want you all to feel the fear I am sure this mother felt. How about let’s quit being so hateful and start supporting one another, parenting is hard enough as it is! I hope people start having empathy and take this and learn from it, but I hope at the very least they will stop being so hateful to you because you don’t deserve that, and I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with it!
Toni Patton
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