×

Mother, child bond special

The bond between mother and child fulfills the most basic need of human nature: To be loved, believed and nurtured.

Jails are often kept full by the result of what happens when that bond becomes twisted or destroyed.

But even when evil tries to take the child away, that relationship between mother and child remains as strong as any steel cable, pulling back at the child.

The escape of three young women after being held 10 years in captivity in Cleveland last week is a visible sign of the power of the bond of mother to child.

The families of the three girls, who disappeared as teenagers, never gave up hope, even when the authorities say most such cases do not end well.

Mothers never gave up looking. One died three years after her daughter’s disappearance, after spending those years in a ceaseless search. The medical doctors say she died of a variety of causes. Friends say she died of a broken heart.

It will not be easy for those young women to re-establish something of a routine life in the world, having had their childhoods destroyed early and their bonds to family and the world cut off for so long.

But the love of mothers, even the one who is lost, can pull them through. The world will, no doubt, see that bond on display in countless interviews and reports and stories in the coming months. And, the discovery of the Cleveland women has raised hopes of the mothers of many children missing for years.

Today is Mother’s Day, and, given the circumstances of the past week, it’s a good day to simply reflect on the bond of mother and child and what that means to the individuals and families and the world.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today