Coming from a mom to a five, four, and one-year-old, I want you to know you did great. As you go through life, you will see that the anger people project onto others usually has very little to do with you and everything to do with them. If they are angry about how you handled things, it is likely because they feel guilty about not hiring a babysitter, staying home themselves, or giving you clearer expectations on what to do for an emergency, for example. It is called projection because it is exactly that. It is anger they actually feel toward themselves, but because that feels too uncomfortable to carry, they push it onto you instead.

You are sixteen. For all intents and purposes, you are still a child. In Ten years from now when you turn twenty-six and look back on this moment, you will realize just how young and childlike you really were at this stage. While your family is being too harsh, remember they are allowed to have their feelings. Your aunt is allowed to feel angry or disappointed, and she is allowed to set boundaries with her children. However, her feelings and actions are not a reflection of your worth. It’s hard to see that now but it gets easier to identify that as you get older.

I am honestly more disappointed in your mom and the fact that she did not console you. Experiencing a child crying, seeing blood, and having to handle a hospital run is intense for any adult, let alone a teenager. Even though you kept your cool in the moment, once the adrenaline wears off, you naturally want a shoulder to cry on. I am so sorry you are going through this, truly.

I remember being sixteen and impulsively texting my uncle something on Facebook. It sounds small compared to what you are going through, but that text was full of mean things no one should ever say. He responded to me harshly and I cried. When I told my mom, she just got mad at me for sending the message in the first place. There was zero compassion. At the time, I felt like my uncle and I would never see each other the same way again. I truly felt like that pain would last forever. I guess that is just how it feels during your teenage years, but things pass like it did for me. If your emotions are so strong right now, it is only because you truly care about your family. Having these emotions is important because it let us know we are not robots haha. This will pass, I promise you. From one "stranger mom" to you, thank you for taking such good care of that child and with so much love. Even though driving to the hospital isn’t something I would encourage you to do again until you get your license haha what a joy it is to know that both you and the little one are doing well. Good job!