I'll never get it

* warning: the subject matter of this post may be disturbing ... Screw that! The subject matter of this post is definitely disturbing beyond my most horrific nightmare!!!

Today was pretty mundane. Could have something to do with the fact that we were up until five this morning singing. Or the fact that we didn't roll out of bed until almost noon (hey, that wasn't even a full eight-hour night!). Either way, we didn't do much other than browse the flea market, do laundry and manage take-out.

Steve had a little bit of excitement. At least, he claimed ownership of a mission this afternoon. In the process of getting screwed by a major corporation, I perused the internet looking to see how many others have been screwed by said company (turns out, there are thousands, but that's not why I'm writing this).

In the course of 'googling', I came across this article. Sick. Truly sick. Absolutely no other words to describe it.

In summary, if you don't feel like clicking to read the whole insanely gross story, sometime late in July this past summer, a beautiful little girl was allegedly murdered. By her mother and step-father. Who then hid her body in a container in their shed for more than a month, then dumped the container into Galveston (TX) Bay. The container was found by a fisherman in late October.

For about a month, this poor little girl was simply known as "Baby Grace" while investigators desperately tried to identify her. In short, she was identified and the whole horrific story continues to unfold.

As a mother, and I like to think that while I don't remember much of my life before children (I seem to have left my brain in the labor and delivery ward of the local hospital), even before I became a mother, there isn't one single fiber of my being that can understand how anyone could ever cause harm to a child, let alone their own.

I'm the first one to jump to the defense of mentally incompetent people, and I don't pretend for one minute that all people all the time are in control of their behavior. I fully concede that there are factors in this woman's life that I don't know about. I am not put on this earth to judge, please don't miss my point. While lots of things may explain why these things happen, they do absolutely nothing to excuse.

There is nothing and I mean nothing on this planet, in this world that would ever, ever bring me to bring any kind of barbaric situation to my children. Nothing. I would lay down my life for them, in an instant, without hesitation. And it is totally beyond my comprehension that any mother could not only cause harm to their child, but bring them to their death at the hands of the very one who is supposed to protect. Beyond. My. Comprehension.

I suppose, in retrospect... there really is no point to this post. Other than when I found that article, first, I was surprised that this was the first I had heard of this story, as Texas in only next-door and I try to stay on top of news events, especially 'headlines'. Second, my heart just broke for this little girl. Not to mention that she bore an eerie resemblance to my youngest. It just struck a chord in me that I didn't even know was there.

Rest in peace Riley Ann Sawyers. You'll never be hurt again.