Because I was running late for work this morning, I saw an interview with a mother, her pseudonym is Jennifer Rabiner, on the "Today'' show. The piece described this mother's profound feelings of disappointment in her older daughter, from infancy, which was chronicled in an essay for Redbook magazine (redbookmag.com -- search for Jennifer Rabiner).

Before learning more about her story, I realized that I was immediately hostile toward this woman, but as I learned more I felt more empathy for her -- and, especially for her daughter. It was a struggle to get this child to eat, to sleep, to take an interest in the world around her, to engage with other children. She was a crier, who needed to be rescued. And through it all, her mother seized every opportunity to let her daughter know what a disappointment she was.

Her shocking admission: "As you can imagine,'' this mother wrote, "I felt guilty that I was basically repelled by my own child. But  honestly, the guilt was overshadowed by a colossal sense of disappointment.''

"Sophie'' even began tearing out clumps of her own hair, and later started scratching herself.

It was not until this little one was 7 that she was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.

I'd encourage you to read this mom's story, and, if you're so moved, to share your thoughts here. This is an extreme case, but it also brings up questions about the rest of us: Do we always like the children we love? And perhaps the same question could be asked of them. Is this mom someone to be chastised for the treatment of her daughter, or applauded for seeking help and sharing her story with a wider audience -- where there may be others who feel the same way, and can benefit from her confessions. I don't have the answer.