The Sin Eater

Violet’s Literary Quote:

“It’s not what enters men’s mouth that is evil, it’s what comes out of their mouths that is.” ― Paulo Coelho , The Alchemist 

It is amazing to hear a quote that cuts to the truth so precisely.

Working with children is a treat, but not always as appealing as some might think. One thing that many children, especially those who are very young, find hard to do is make up stories about things that have really happened. Yes, they can exaggerate, and they can fabricate, but they also speak a lot of truths.

I remember one little boy who had been placed in our clinical day treatment program, as he had been “kicked out” of all other schools and options. He was aggressive when he got upset, and back then, the way to help ensure safety was to put into a child’s hold. So, anyhow, one time that he was being restrained by me, I asked him why he was acting up, and he said because his mom loved the boys who lived across the street more than she loved him. Well, what he didn’t know was that the boys across the street were his brothers, but they had been removed by Child Services years before. They were living across the street with their biological grandmother. Long story short, I explained to him that those were his brothers. I told him the reason his mother loved them just as much as she loved him, was because they were her kids. Later that day I told his mother the conversation we had and she thanked me for finally revealing the truth to him. I think having her own psychological issues was the reason she never told him. Well, after this the behaviors didn’t disappear but some of them did go away.

When I read this quote, it made me think of how the truth could have helped this little boy.