28 Comments
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Marsha Royer's avatar

Thank you for saying what millions of mothers are thinking and feeling right now. I hope they know there are tears here for them. Many tears.

Ness P.'s avatar

Heart. Broken.

Mary Brennan Gerster's avatar

This moved me to tears with the true power of words describing the indescribable : the pain , the true pain of losing a child to the violence of another . The lack of caring the dismissal by Trump who’s never worn a uniform or experienced war up close or even such a loss is beyond disgraceful . Is there any way to get this letter translated to every mother of every child lost in this pointless violence ? Thank you to whoever wrote this as you express my horror and shame and heartbreak perfectly

Diane's avatar

Stanley, you speak beautifully and eloquently for many, many American mothers today. We need your voice and I hope it reaches those who grieve. As we all do.

Diane's avatar

Shanley, sorry for the autocorrect of your name 😡

David E. Roy  Ph.D.'s avatar

If this happened to me, I would be digging madly against hope regardless of the age, wishing it had been I who was missing & not my or anyone else’s child. I have a daughter and a son.

Gillian Butler's avatar

Thank you Shanley for writing such a beautiful, heart-breaking piece. We need to have our hearts broken over and over until enough of us say, "NO MORE!"

Sarah Quinn's avatar

Powerful and heart breaking. Thank you.

Mike Feder's avatar

Not one of these children's lives is worth the entire bullshit, masculine universe of war-money-and-ego that is dragging half the world into hell.

Cheryl Masters's avatar

Thank you for expressing what so many of us are thinking and grieving, but in a way that cannot comprehend the unfathomable pain.

Kelly Killion's avatar

This is beautifully written. It expresses much of how I feel for the mothers of these Iranian girls, even though I'm not a mother. It is beautiful that you wrote this to them.

It could also be shared with every mother of a child dead from a mass shooting here in the US.

Cindy's avatar

Well said. 🙏😭♥️

Mary S's avatar

I can't stop crying. Every day, it just gets worse. I'm so ashamed of my country.

Paul Jackson's avatar

Wow, just wow. That was so incredibly moving.

Brian Young's avatar

Very powerful, eloquent, and moving. Thank you, Shanley.

Roger A Adams's avatar

Simply.....thank you

Heather T.'s avatar

Beautiful.