I now understand why when we were kids, when the image of a parent is somebody that makes you do boring and hard stuff and stops you from doing things that you want to do. I now understand the frustrations and the hardship of my parents when they were struggling to keep up with us, molding us to grow apart from the norm of the everyday society. I now understand how little bruises and bumps make them worry, and how panic sets up in their face when we were bedridden. I now understand how we were always happy, even though tears were falling from my parents’ eyes because of our situation before. I now understand.

I now understand both sides. Now I grieve.

I grieve for children who lost their parents, losing a part of them that will take time to fill. I grieve for sons and daughters that look away when other families are together, even in their worst. I grieve for them. But the thing that gives me great sorrow is the loss of a child.

I grieve for parents who lost their child, not having the chance to see them grow. I grieve for parents who gave everything they had to make their kids happy, just to see them go. I grieve for those who planned beautiful and wonderful moments together with their kids. I grieve for them. I grieve for them.

Because I now understand.

No parent should have to bury a child – Stephen Adly Guirgis