Keeping Someone Safe

As a mom I spend a lot of time thinking about safety. What car seat to buy. Whether or not I should turn it around and when. What chemicals are in what foods, etc., etc. Several industries feed off parents' general paranoria on issues of 'safety'.

But every now and again I realize that the real job of a parent is keeping our kids emotionally safe. I take this job very seriously too. That job is often harder and will only get much harder as my children age. But for now, it is pretty easy. It is always nice to have a reminder that while we may not have the funds to buy a new Britax, I can do the important job of loving my kids and keeping them 'safe'.

Wyeth and I were playing around 6:30 on Saturday morning. Seren and Sam were still asleep. Wyeth was happily playing around his room; we were singing, pushing garbage trucks and reading books together. It was fun.

Then the heat clicked on in his room.

A simple 'click, click'. But for Wyeth, that was a new sound. Something strange coming from the corner of his room!

He wimpered in fear and threw himself at me, burrowing his head and his arms in my chest. He was so frightened.

And all I needed to do was hug him. And comfort him. And let him know that the heat noise was 'ok'. He was ok. Everything was ok. Mom was there to keep him safe.

And in a simple gesture, I made it all good.

Not all problems will be this easily solved. I know this.

So for now, I'll breathe in the scent of my son's freshly washed hair and appreciate the beauty of the moment. I could keep him safe; it was simply lovely.