Why would you think a seven year old – who I presume is now 10 – wouldn’t remember you? She misses you, but you have no intention of reentering her life? Why did you even call? I don’t want to be judgmental, based on what little you’ve told us. But I can’t understand why you would re-introduce yourself after three years just to say you will not be her mother anymore, at any time.

It’s hard for you – yes – but imagine what it must be like for her.

When my ex got custody, he made my life a living hell, until the night he falsely reported to the police and courts that I refused to return our child after a visit. A SWAT team kicked in my front door and removed our child. When it came out that he had made the whole story up, the courts were like “oops, sorry.”

I eventually had to walk away from my child, who was 7. I have moved to the other coast, remarried and have two other children now with my husband. I haven’t seen or spoke to her in over three years. I called her for the first time two weeks ago, and after all these years she said “Mommy I miss you where are you?” I was surprised she even remembered me. I have no intention of re-entering her life, and leaving her was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Many nights I did not know how to go on but I have. Sometimes you just have to do hard things in life.

This last instance did not make me stumble. Actually, I realized I had heard my mother’s message all along. I wasn’t shaken, nor did I fall. Instead I moved forward and let it and him go in the direction of his desires. In that very instance, I too was liberated.

People come here to fulfill their destiny, and we as black women have to know this and teach our daughters, and sons. Lead with love so that when people make choices we disagree with can send them on their way with love, and love ourselves in the meantime. That way we become the love we seek.

It could be in his genes but who knows.

There’s a lot of elements of relationships that are changing significantly. By the time your son grows up, they will be the norm. One of those is the concept of marriage. There is less emphasis on marriage and more on having moderate length relationships. This is happening world wide already.

Hebrew Charter schools celebrate Purim or Hanukah, in exactly the same way that mainstream public schools celebrate Christmas or Easter (“spring break”), which are both ===religiously-sourced== holidays.

Have you ever BEEN to Israel? Can you imagine that about 80% of native-Hebrew-speakers are non-religious in every way? Can you imagine that about 20% of the Israel’s Hebrew speakers are NOT Jews? Both are true facts.

New York’s first language was Dutch. That changed to English. Can you prove to me that it can’t change again?

to Lashawndra: about (don’t hold me to this exact number) 10% of Jewish Israelis are Ethiopians. Walking around Tel Aviv or Jerusalem or Haifa, you or your child would not feel non-ordinary.