This morning, I read the sad story about a Texas mother who shot her daughters to death and then was killed by police outside their home while she still held the gun in her hand.
What happened?
I know it’s the question every person speaks…but, why? Why would a person do this? Why would a mother who surely wiped their faces, dressed them in frilly little matching dresses and posted sweet pictures of them on Facebook murder her grown baby girls?
What was happening in her life to make her this desperate?
Was she angry? Had someone wronged her? The article mentions a family meeting. What outrageous behavior triggered such an egregious act from a seemingly loving faith-filled mother? How did they go from –> Girls clean your rooms to chasing them down with a handgun and shooting them to their death?
There is nothing but heartache in this story.
I’m no expert yet I know frustration and stress can make us do drastic things. But, not murder our children. This horrible act came from somewhere. Something was happening in this mama’s heart or mind. Something very dark, something very painful and I’m here to tell you it could happen to anybody.
The mind is a battlefield.
Sources have revealed this mother had struggled with mental illness. If you scroll through her Facebook page you’d see what appears to be a normal southern God-loving mama. A beautiful lady with a seemingly happy life and 2 gorgeous blonde daughters that were her mirror image.
So, why?
Why choose your husband’s birthday to go totally off the planet and kill your treasured brood? Her mind was sick. She was not okay. She was more than struggling with mental health, she was full-on desperately mentally unwell.
To you, I say….if you or someone you know is “struggling” with mental illness, do something! Don’t just hope they feel better or promise to pray for them. Do those things but act on the information you have as well. People that suffer with mental health issues need more than just a tender spot for their plight. They need genuine care and support that moves them into living the best and healthiest life possible.
Not every person with a mental disorder (and it’s more common than not in today’s world) kills the people they love.
That’s what desperation looks like.
** Curious to the various types of mental health?
Go HERE and familiarize yourself with the many facets of mental illnesses.
