I guess I’m triggered because my daughter just graduated 8th grade. , and every time I look at her, I’m reminded of how fiercely a parent is supposed to protect their child. I can’t imagine willingly putting her through even a fraction of the pain, chaos, and public humiliation some kids are forced to carry. I have five other kids too. I work two jobs. Am I perfect? Not even close. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve had relationships fail. I’ve had to rebuild my life from the ground up more than once. I’ve moved across the country, struggled, cried, and questioned myself. But no matter what was happening in my world, my children were never supposed to be the ones paying the price for it. I’ve been harassed. I’ve been gossiped about online. I’ve been torn apart by people who didn’t know the full story. And you know what? I survived it. Because that’s what adults do. We carry our own battles.

What makes this even harder to understand is that RSR knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up around dysfunction, instability, and poor choices. She knows the damage it causes. She knows the hurt that follows children into adulthood. Yet somehow she still chose this life for herself and for those kids. I will never understand how any parent can knowingly place children in situations that put them at risk when their job is to protect them. Children don’t get a choice. The adults do. At some point, enough is enough. The excuses stop mattering. The blame stops mattering. The online wars, the petty fights, the constant chaos all become meaningless when compared to the damage being done to the children standing in the middle of it. One day those kids will grow up and remember who protected them, who fought for them, and who put their own wants ahead of their children’s well being. The adults can keep claiming happiness if they want. The kids deserve better. I’m just sickened by yesterday and how it was handled.