Will You Help Me?

Ralph came to Maggie with a thick file of warnings. His history was all violence and aggression. Then he arrived and wouldn't even let go of his teddy bear.

“If he could make me reject him, then he would be back in control.”

Trauma makes kids act out in ways that look like hate. Usually it is just profound fear. They push people away before those people can leave them first.

Aggressive behavior is often a form of communication. Ralph used his fists because he had no words for his pain. He was just a small boy drowning in big feelings.

“He was waiting for me to snap. He was waiting for the rejection he knew was coming.”

Consistency matters more than almost anything else. Ralph kept testing the boundaries to see if they would break. He needed to know Maggie wouldn't give up on him.