Forgive Me For Shaming You

I once read that the cruelest thing you can do to a child is publicly humiliate them. Public humiliation is a form of emotional abuse. It’s a callous act. One that lacks compassion, caring and kindness. All qualities I’ve always felt I possessed. I’m a sucker for the kid that gets picked last in gym class. I’m sucker for the chubby girl sitting alone in a corner that nobody asks to dance. And I’m a sucker for the runt of the litter. The puppy that the breeder said would be disqualified from a show ring due to his back not sloping enough. The puppy that shook when I picked him up because he had yet to form a trusting bond with people. That’s the one I want. There was no “eanie, meanie, minie, moe”. It was simpler than that. I choose you.

People point when they pick someone. They also point when they pick on someone. So it’s rather ironic that finger pointing once again comes into play when we point blame. When we ridiculous and shame.

I have a tendency to humanize him, but what I did the other day was nothing short of inhumane. I know some people would say he’s just a dog. Although to me he is more than that, he’s like my child. The child I don’t have, don’t want to have and don’t plan on having for quite a few more years. He’s my child substitute and the perfect substitute he is. I couldn’t ask for more, yet I demanded more. I demanded something he isn’t able to give – to hold his pee the whole night long. I know, I know. At this point you are giggling at me. Up until now, you thought this was a serious post. And it is, to a point. I do in fact feel badly for posting that photo of my sad puppy the other day, the one with the caption that read “I’m A Bed Wetter”. I feel bad because…well, because I feel like I publicly humiliated him/my child. I made a mockery of his little problem. I made a giggle out of him.

In hind sight when I snapped the photo and came up with the phrase, I thought it was funny. But once I posted it, I immediately felt sorry for him and sorry for what I had done. I debated on taking the photo down. I felt I was being mean. However, I told myself I was being silly. The dog can’t read. He doesn’t know what even occurred. Dogs live in the now. It is people that often live in the past. So it’s the past that I must get over and to do that, I am publicly apologizing for my past mistake. I’m sorry for shaming you and shame on me for doing so.

You’re my little buddy. My boy. And despite the fact I was a good Daddy the night you wet your bed, I was a bad Daddy the next day when I made light of your accident. And that’s all it was, an accident. You had an accident and I made a mistake by posting that photo. I've admitted my wrong doing and freed myself of the guilt. Now lick my face to tell me I’m forgiven. So we can move forward hand in hand...er, hand in paw?