Internet ties

Just sharing some thought provoking posts.  One of my favorite blogs, by writer Katie Allison Granju, has multiple posts lately that really inspire thought.  Including links to posts by friends (I really like that one)  and others on the subject.  Read her post on the secret she's no longer willing to keep.  I don't have the time or privacy to fully explore my thoughts on the subjects, but to summarize:

Katie's oldest child had a drug overdose and was brutally beaten.  For several days they didn't know if he would even make it.  Now they're looking at a long period of therapy and wondering what happens to him once he is fully functioning again.  Will he take this as a sign to stop, or will they be back to square one?   Her posts make me cry.  Her love for her son shines through so clearly and it makes me feel her pain through that universal tie all mothers have.  Circumstances don't matter, you just know there is a mother heartbroken over her baby boy and you grieve with her.  It's scary because it's clear this mother adores her children and tried her best and still......sometimes that's not enough. 
 Who knows where I may one day find myself in this parenting journey.  Where but for the grace of God, go I.   I feel bad that she has to endure people's judgement at this time when she has so much to worry about.  (she's also heavily pregnant with her fifth child). I know I couldn't take the judgement she receives on a regular basis, let alone at a time like this. 
This incident has brought forth a slew of interesting topics: about secrecy and addiction (or any illness) about how to avoid drug problems, is experimentation ok?, how can this (can it?) be avoided, does calling addiction an illness actually make things worse, where are the boundaries between her life and her child's-can she talk about his life without damaging his privacy?, parental expectations about child rearing, about the recognition that some people get addicted quickly and easily while others are not wired that way, and also how sharing the difficulties of raising older children can be a relief for the person sharing and the person reading it. 
Again, I don't have the time now to write my thoughts on all of this, but I wanted to share it because there are a lot of though-provoking topics, beautiful writing, and because I think I think it's good to put these stories out there to help others. Though I don't know Katie or her family; this has affected me as well.