If we don’t protect them, who will?

My youngest daughter, Anistyn, will be six in May, and she is terrified of storms. If a storm comes in the middle of the night, and it wakes her up, she will be in our room, shaking like a leaf.

The other morning, about 4 a.m., a whopper of a storm rolled into our neck of the woods. Our dachshund, Noel, was the first to be awoken by the storm, and she high-tailed it my room to get in the bed with me. (She is almost as scared of storms as Anistyn is.) Before the dog could get settled down in my bed, here comes Anistyn, who had been woken up by the storm. We knew there would be no getting her back in her bed, as she was shaking like a leaf, so we allowed her to crawl in the bed with us. She snuggled up with her daddy and, with his giant arms around her, quickly went back to sleep. She knew she was safe.

We all have the desire to feel safe. Not just a desire, but a need. If we do not feel safe in a situation or circumstance, we will not be as productive, or as happy, as we could, and should be. Safety leads us to a confidence that cannot be felt at any other time. Whether our safety comes from friends or places, we are at our best when we feel the safest. Just like my daughter, sleeping soundly in her daddy’s arms, that is what we all long for.

Well, from my perspective, a whopper of a storm is hitting our nation. Businesses and individuals have said that, no matter what the sign on the door says, anyone, of any gender, can use any restroom or fitting room. How can I expect my children to feel safe, when anyone can walk into as private an area as a fitting room of restroom? Better yet, how can we protect our children when this is occurring, and we will be persecuted if we openly disagree?

Just as my daughter fled to our room during the storm that early morning, our children will be looking to us to keep them safe. Even when the world around us seems to want to make it easy for them to not be safe, it is our duty as parents to protect our children, and teach them the right ways to handle situations. It is our responsibility to teach them to defend themselves, and stand up for themselves, in ways that do not degrade, demean, or discourage others. Does that mean we teach our children to be hateful to those who believe differently? Absolutely not. But it means that we teach them how to be safe, and to feel safe, whatever life throws at them. If we do not do that, who will?