How Dare You?

I have discovered a paradox. It is not a recent discovery, although I am just sitting down to write about it. The paradox is this: people complain about the masks that some of us wear. They want us to open up, to show more of our true selves, to reveal what we truly think. But if or when we do so, we are called emo or whiny or just ignored. Why do you think we were wearing a mask to begin with? The only thing worse than feeling pain is sharing that pain and having it mocked or ignored or belittled. So what are we supposed to do? We desperately want to be known, but if being known only brings more pain, how should we react then?
The worst part of this conundrum? Although heathens do this as well, everything I've said is something Christians engage in frequently. You, who are supposed to share Christ's love, mock and ridicule those who need that love the most. How dare you? How dare you make his love exclusive? How dare you misrepresent his caring? How dare you forget the very meaning of your name? Did Christ come to cure only your pain? Did he come to heal only your broken heart? Is his grace only enough for your need? How dare you do nothing? You have left Christ broken, and friendless, and hurting, in deepest darkness, because you have done it "to the least of these."

Family

Family is a strange and nebulous thing. Recent events have really brought that home to me. For one thing, having to fight for custody of my own son has shown me how much I truly love him. While I was considering giving him up for adoption, having that choice threatened made me think a whole lot harder. And I realized I won't be a perfect mother. I probably won't even be in the high end of the "good" roster. But I am the best person to raise my son because I am his mother and I love him.
There are more family elements to this equation, however. Because the people trying to take my son away are also family. And while they are incredibly stubborn and pigheaded sometimes, I ought to love them. I struggle with that. If anybody else did and said the same things they do, I would hate them forever. I might even take legal action. And no matter that they have taken legal action, I can be better than that. I am better than that.
So, family. Family is forever (or at least until death). So I guess I will do my best to love, even those who don't deserve it.