They look like big, good, strong hands, don’t they? I always thought that’s what they were. — The NeverEnding Story

There are few more harrowing moments when you realize that no matter how hard you try, how strong you are, or how much you fight, those you love will suffer.  You can comfort, you can protect, you can sacrifice, but their fate is their own, and the worst sometimes happens.  The best you can hope for is to shield them from what you can, and to trust that they can do for themselves when you fail.