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Rosa called in to Patrick Conley and guest Father John Paul Erickson on The Inner Life with a fear no grandparent wants: she had discovered her granddaughter had been cutting herself. A nurse for 20 years, Rosa knew the marks weren’t “cat scratches,” and she worried what might happen if her granddaughter went deeper.

Father John Paul didn’t brush past the pain. He acknowledged how real the ache is when we talk about peace, then insisted, “prayer is massively important.” Never stop praying, for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for those who need it most. But he also urged Rosa to make love tangible. Beyond prayer, what's most important is to “make sure that your granddaughter knows that she is loved by you." He encouraged Rosa to show her granddaughter as much physical affection as possible, remind her that she matters and she is beautiful, and that her life matters immensely.

Rosa explained that her daughter is extremely hard on her granddaughter and she fears that that hardship is a factor in her granddaughter's actions. Father John Paul encouraged her to pray that her daughter receive the grace to meet her child where she is. Pray that she be the parent that her daughter needs her to be.

Rosa admitted she “freaked out” when she first saw the cuts, but tried not to overreact. Still, she knew she couldn’t stop at small talk: “When people tell you they’re fine, sometimes we gotta dig a little deeper.” The Fr. John Paul encouraged her to point her granddaughter toward safe support, including a trusted teacher at school.

Another caller, Sedalia, echoed the same theme: support and loving attention rooted in faith. Having gone through something similar, Sedalia said she brought her loved one to church just to sit and talk, then helped her pray the Rosary so she would remember, “God loves her. She’s here for a purpose in this world.”

The hour ended with a sober warning and a steady hope: “There are forces out there that are intent on robbing, robbing us, including our children, of peace.” Patrick Conley reminded Rosa that thousands of listeners are praying with her, and he pointed families to the Relevant Radio App as one way to seek Christ’s peace.

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