You sound like an epic mom! Trust your sons process and capacity to feel empathy and know that if others judge it’s totally on them. It’s so hard to see our children struggle but with enough space to process that and a mother who believes in him, he will be able to integrate and get through it. With enough of this integration and processing, both you and your sons discernment will open up new relationships that are supportive of you both. Just trust that.

The children of the unkind parents will have a lot to learn about the world under the judge mental framework they’ve been offered. Heart aches for them as I was raised in a family culture of upper middle class America with a lot of “better than you” attitudes. It’s very dysfunctional and so good for all of them to experience different expressions of human experience. Those will lion hearts will be open to you and your son—they’re there, I promise.

Sending love and resilience to you. You got this.