The Greatest terror a child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears

I've been thinking about why I do what I do.

My thoughts continued to return to this quote. It is from a book called East of Eden by John Stienbeck:

"The Greatest terror a child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears. I think everyone in the world to a large or small extent has felt rejection. And with rejection comes anger, and with anger some kind of crime in revenge for the rejection, and with the crime, guilt - and there is the story of mankind. I think that if rejection could be amputated, the human would not be what he is. Maybe there would be fewer crazy people. I am sure in myself there would not be many jails. It is all there - the start, the beginning. One child, refused the love he craves, kicks the cat and hides his secret guilt; and another steals so that money will make him loved; and a third conquers the world - and always the guilt and revenge and more guilt."


There are so many people in this city that have felt the harsh sting of rejection. Some of the stories that I have recently heard are so heart wrenching that I wonder if I can ever have any influence. I really feel that I have been called here to stand by those who have been rejected, those who are still being rejected  today and to help stem the cycle of rejection, anger and guilt.