Mr. Denton from Louisiana sent me a link to this Foxnews article and asked that I share my perspective on this story. Thanks for emailing me.
My first reaction was "Wow! Never underestimate a mother from Queens." Another first emotion was a strong feeling of relief. What are the odds of finding a kidnapped child, particularly a kidnapped child that has been taken to another country thousands of miles away. I am so happy for the reunion of this mother and son.
Now that I have read the article, I have discovered that the boy's kidnapper was his father. That is still wrong, but, my fear for the safety of the boy evaporated, especially since there was no mention in the article of abuse by the father. The boy even admitted that he was unaware that he had been "kidnapped."
In my opinion, it sure complicates matters when a couple makes the choice to have a child without making a commitment to jointly raise that child. Can you raise a wonderful child without getting married? Yes. Can a married couple mess up a child. Yes. Now that I have answered those questions, think about this question: What family arrangement is most likely to give that child the best opportunity to grow up healthy, happy, self-confident, and successful? I think you know the answer. One day almost all of us will realize that selfishness hurts others and that when we commit to doing all we can for others, we are all better off. By marrying a couple gives the whole family an advantage. To gain the advantage, it has to be a real marriage. A marriage based on love and that love has to be given the chance to mature to the point that the couple works out differences and teams up to overcome obstacles.
My point relative to this article is: if this couple had committed to focusing on what was best for their son and also made a commitment to provide a full time two-parent loving household, then the "kidnapped" son would not have been kidnapped and would have a much better chance in life.
Admittedly, there are sometimes extenuating circumstances that make this idea situation impossible, but; more often than not, all it takes is a little bit of selflessness and a mature loving, committed relationship.
Thanks for sending this one in Mr. Denton.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,342550,00.html
