Why Punch the Monkey Broke the Internet and Broke Me

Like Punch, my birth mother abandoned me. Millions of people have watched the heartbreaking videos of Punch, the baby monkey bullied and rejected by other monkeys in his troop. Many of us felt relief and joy when an older female finally showed him care and protection, essentially becoming his adoptive mother.Punch’s story resonated with people around the world because it speaks to something deeply human. We all want to belong. We all want to be loved. I wrote an essay for MS Now (MSNBC) about why Punch captured so many hearts and what his story reveals about rejection, belonging, and the universal longing for connection. Click here to read the essay