Vengeance?

I just saw this post on Facebook, by my sister in law: "Fxck!ng b!tch that makes my daughter upset better watch out!!!!!!!" That was 7 exclamation marks. I counted. All I can think is, "oh, dear!" (and I added the symbols in the swears) Well, that and, be SUPER sarcastically glad to have all these new family members in my life. Seriously, though, her daughter is in first grade. Is this another first grader my SIL is referring to? Or an older child? Is it an adult, rather than a child? I suppose if this were the case, I could understand the sentiment, but if it's another 6 year old?!? What kind of message is my niece picking up from her mother?

I am currently taking a 4th year social work class titled Family Centred Practice, with a textbook titled Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods. Last week we handed in a 12 plus page paper where we were to make a genogram of 3 to 4 generations of our family, then analyze our families using Family Therapy concepts. Maybe I should've analyzed my in laws? Yikes.

I want to leave a comment, be something of a voice of reason, but I have no idea what to say. It'd have to be something pithy (well, maybe short and sweet, rather than concise and forceful).

Vengeance is not something I hope my children learn from me. In fact, last night while driving home from my mother's house, stepson was having a conversation with son. He was talking about some (made up) person who was "sucky" at a video game. I couldn't let it pass, and asked exactly what that meant. At first, they said "never mind," (I guess recognizing my tone?) but I wouldn't let them off the hook. So they said that it meant he was bad, meaning he wasn't skilled at playing the particular video game.

I then talked about the difference between who we ARE and what we DO, or our behaviour. This is a crucial concept in Child Welfare, my particular social work major. We need to distinguish between poor parenting and "bad mothers." Anyone can overcome bad behaviour, but if someone is a bad person, is there even a hope of redemption for that person? We cannot write people off because of something bad that they DO, this, to my mind, is oppression.

I'm sure my children are used to my moral lectures, but my sister in law is not, and would likely not take kindly to it. Thus, those of you who read this blog get to read my rantings. 

Did I mention I'm miserably sick? Perhaps I'm a bit short-tempered as a result :S