Mistakes...?

Happy Summer everyone! By now I'm sure you are all in full heat wave mode. Peeling skin from the first sun burn, hot dogs and hamburgers are getting to be common supper fare, and the hum of fans and air conditioners can be heard everywhere.

One thing I find lacking, at least on the street we live on...is children racing their bikes or roller blading or sitting on the corner moaning how bored they are. Ha! Gone are the days of spontaneous childhood adventures. Spending unsupervised days at the pool or hours riding our bikes. We didn't have cell phones to check in. We knocked on friend's doors, we didn't have play dates. No 'helicopter parents'.

My children aren't really children anymore. My youngest will by turning 15 at the end of this month, the middle is 17 and my oldest turned 20 this year. I have 3 very wonderful young men that I encouraged to have childhoods like myself and my husband. It was frowned upon quite a bit. Letting a 10 and 7 year old ride their bikes to the park a block away from our home 'unsupervised' was horrible parenting! Riding their bikes together, after myself or my husband had shown them the way, to places further then the park as they got older was so unsafe. Was careless parenting. Was sending my children into needless danger.

I shake my head at these parents that hover. These are the same people that climbed trees as kids, rode bikes til dark, played tag and slid down hot metal slides. What changed?

This past weekend my middle son had to help bury his best friend. He stood with his group of buddies under a beautiful summer sun in a cemetery listening to the drums beating and watched as they lowered his friend into the ground. That day was something I wish my son and all friends and family never had to go through. I was very proud of the boys. They acted very honorably and I'm sure their buddy was hugging them tight through out the whole service.

I wont lie. I was definitely a helicopter parent this past week...and it probably wont stop right away. Not as long as my son is hurting. We all make mistakes...there are times to step in..times to step back ...but as long as we learn.

May the rest of our summer be uneventful. Full of healing, love, laughter and sunshine.

May you all have safe summer vacations full of loving memories, laughter and some yummy ice tea!

In Loving Memory