# She had to sign children away from their parents

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-thai-lady-child-protection-sign-off
- Themes: responsibility, children, trauma, retreat
- Life situations: child protection work, moral injury

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

A highly educated Thai woman on retreat carries the job of signing final judgments that remove children from parents too damaged by addiction — she arrives late because that work cannot wait a week.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

She was very highly educated Thai lady. And she was had a terrible, terrible, terrible job. It's the job she had was she had to sign off on people uh who she had to give the final judgment were in her opinion not capable looking after their kids. And when she signed that document, the children would be taken away from their parents

## Teaching point

Some silences follow work that no one else wants to hold.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A Thai woman's job was signing the orders that removed children from parents too damaged to care for them. It couldn't wait, so she arrived late to retreat. Within days she'd set the weight down and was meditating beautifully. Even heavy responsibilities can be put down for a while. Rest makes you better at carrying them.

## Source

- [Stillness and Silence | Ajahn Brahm | 25th March 2022](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9DKTXZ2jpI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:01:39 to 1:02:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9DKTXZ2jpI&t=3699s