Emotional Triggers
(or “Why did I react that way?”)
An Emotional Trigger is a response to a person, situation, event, dialogue, reading, film, or other content providing entity, that provokes a strong emotional reaction. Often we are not self aware when we are triggered, and fall into reacting prior to sifting through our strong emotional response. www.google.com/...
Sometimes you may find yourself reacting in a way that seems “out of character” for those who know you. The reaction you have is more intense than what the situation would seem to warrant. These are emotional triggers, and this is my story.
When I was 9 years old, my mother decided to leave my father. She packed up a few things and put me, my sister (10) and the middle brother (12) in her friend’s car and started across the mountain to her mother’s house. My two older brothers (15 & 14) elected not to go. Unfortunately for all, my father came home sooner than expected and he was livid, to say the least.
He got his brother in law, who was a deputy sheriff, and they got in his patrol car and headed out to bring us back. Approximately a mile from the county line, they pulled over our car. I remember crying, screaming, and fighting to stay with my “mommy”. I remember my dad telling her, “I will make sure you will never see your children again if you don’t come back with me now.” She left us there with our father and drove off. I was her “baby”. The youngest of five. I thought I’d never see her again.
This past week has been especially hard for me (the border babies) and at first I couldn’t figure out why. Each one of those babies, is me. Each child who is crying out in pain and terror, is me. Mom eventually came home but I cried every night she was gone. Mom did try to call (dad hung up during one call that I remember) and threw away her letters. I never forgave my father for that pain he caused us.
Knowing what these children are going through now, and what troubles they may have in the future, hurts me. Thankfully, there are a lot of helpers looking out for them. I hope somebody lets them know that it’s ok to ask for help. That’s what helpers are for.
Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others.
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