Mothers for Peace Offers Support Amid Violence

Losing a child to street violence – whether as victim or perpetrator – can be a devastating experience for any mother. There’s the self-blame, the blame from others and the soul-crushing sadness of unrealized dreams for beloved children. To top it all off many mothers feel intense isolation, a feeling that nobody can understand.

To combat that feeling of aloneness, a group of brave mothers started Madres de la Paz – or Mothers for Peace – to combat the loneliness and find strength and comfort from other mothers with similar feelings.

Member Lucia Escamilla has discovered the comforting power of the group in a dramatic way. A year and a half ago she joined the group because she worried about losing any of her three sons to violence. Last week, her worst fears were realized. Her 17-year-old son, Gamaliel Toscano, was fatally shot as he walked home from high school.

Although the loss is more than any mother should have to bear, she felt the support and love of the other members of the group, who sat with her as she made arrangements to bury her son and stood in solidarity with her at his funeral. Now, Escamilla plans to attend the next Mothers for Peace meeting to offer support to others in a similar situation.

"It's amazing to see moms come together on just the value of loving your kid," the Rev. Dave Kelly, who helps run the meetings at a local community center, told The Chicago Tribune. "These moms are very committed to their communities."

The group walks a delicate line, because the mothers represent both victims and perpetrators of crimes, but there appears to be a level of respect and understanding between all the participants. According to Kelly, a meeting typically starts with a "peace circle." A prayer or poem is then read, and it concludes with an open forum that allows mothers to share whatever is on their minds.

Some mothers might have a lot to say, while others simply listen. The point is they support each other, so every mother realizes she is truly not alone.

Photo courtesy of daphne01 via stock.xchang.