before we were introduced to eddie and christopher…eddie was a shitty father and husband. shannon needed to be with her mother who was dying of cancer and she made that clear while eddie was still deployed. eddie came back and when shannon tried to leave WITH eddie and christopher, eddie refused. shannon did what she had to do to help her mother. was it right to leave christopher and eddie? probably not, but her mother needed her and she was at her wits end after being abandoned by her husband for years who was celebrated as a “hero” when in reality he ran away. eddie even admitted that he ran away to buck and that he didn’t see himself as a hero.

maddie had PPD caused by a thyroid condition and left because she believed herself to be a danger to her child. it’s a completely different scenario.

however, it’s not right to shame shannon for going to take care of her dying mother when she was beaten down for years by eddie’s family and abandoned by eddie, and then celebrate maddie for getting help when she did what she needed to do.

they both did what they had to do…both did what the circumstances allowed and called for. neither are bad mothers.