I generally assume that many people are better than I am, Sarah. I'd like to think that many others could have extended more compassion, and for longer. People live in much more difficult circumstances that I was--so why did I find it so difficult? I'm not quite sure. That's part of why I wrote the piece.

That said, "Debra" (not her real name) also told me that she had mentioned to others at the ministry where we met that she was looking for another place for the week that my daughter was home. No one invited her for the week. Instead, she said, someone asked why she had to leave, since my daughter knew her! So much for Christian compassion in that interaction.

Thank you so much for reading and responding.