My friend was sobbing uncontrollably. She kept repeating: "I cannot take it any more!"

She's a single mum, struggling to keep the facade of family life, yet knowing she has lost control over her wayward son.
He has not been home for more than a year and she has no idea where he spends his days and nights.
He has had several encounters with the police, the courts, the ministry of defence.
But the amazing thing is.......he has found a way of escape from all figures of 'authority'!

Does a mother's love end here?

My friend lives in fear of the authorities knocking at her door.
She is in a dilemma ---- if they get hold of him, at least she knows where to find him. But if they punish and interrogate him mercilessly, her heart will break.

She decides on a third option: wash her hands off him!

What does it mean?

Does it mean she doesn't care about him, about what happens to him, about what will become of him? Is she removing herself from the parental responsibility as a solution to her immediate inability to handle the situation?

I need to talk sense to her.

I want to tell her that mothers are mothers for life!

It is an unconditional position we hold ---- we don't let go of our role and responsibility because our kid is an adult now, or he's been rebellious and naughty, or if he's a 'failure' in life, or a burden and a shame to us.
No matter what, our kid must know that we will stand by him ---- not that we condone what he's doing, not that we excuse his wrong actions, but we will never reject him as a person.
We provide a 'covering' for our kid ---- emotional, spiritual, even if we can't provide a physical covering.

Our kid is born out of our own body and blood.
We can harden our heart but we cannot simply wash him out of our hands!