Dandelions and Daisies

Imagine, for a moment, a dandelion – lean and long with a fluffy, delicate and intricate top, vulnerable to puffs of air. It doesn’t take much for it to disappear- stem left standing. Solitary, bare and alone.

Where we see dandelions, we often see daisies. Also delicate, they appear more grounded, their flowers like pretty faces with a solid yellow center. They frequently grow in clusters. I remember as a child, sitting on the grass gathering them to make daisy chain necklaces and bracelets.

It has been exactly 8 years since I began to share ED stories and experiences with other parents of ED children. They range in ages from their 30s to 80s. Their journeys vary but their anguish and suffering are the same. I met parents whose child recovered, and others who grieve their loss forever.

What is apparent is that the sooner parents accept the reality of their child’s situation and take action, the more promising the prognosis for their loved one’s recovery is. Our responsibility to take care of our children never goes away, no matter how old or sick they are. We signed up for this! Inaction empowers ED to dominate, deceive, and destroy. Your child needs you more now than ever (yes, even as an adult).

Are you going to leave him/her to become a dandelion, defenseless and powerless - to wither and disappear in a puff of wind? Or are you going to embrace your child in the daisy chain of connectedness, love, and support, in order to thrive again? 

Once a parent, always a parent.