Just Live!

I received one of those emails from my cousin that described children of the 50s, 60s, and 70s and how we didn't have car seats, our mothers smoked and drank when they were pregnant etc and how we all survived. Now I am glad that we are all wearing seat belts and women don't smoke or drink when they are pregnant anymore (at least most women don't) but I think back to how we lived when I was growing up. I can't believe some of the stuff we did. My father was in the Air Force and we moved around a lot. We lived overseas in Thailand when I was in the 6th grade. We lived downtown Bangkok and had a really neat house. I remember though we had 24 hour guards as well as a cement block fence surrounding the house with jagged glass at the top of the fence. We were really safe in that compound...but then why did my mother feel it ok to let my brother and me go downtown Bangkok by ourselves and go to the bowling alley. These were the days of no cell phones and your parents couldn't call you to find out where you were. But we had a blast riding in the 3 wheeler taxis and walking the streets of Bangkok. I was 12 years old and my brother was 14! That definitely would not happen today but I'm so glad that I got to experience that as I certainly remember it to this day. We also lived in Panama and traveled to South America to Brazil before we came back to the states. I was 16 and my brother must have been 18...we walked the Copa Cabana strip in Rio by ourselves at night. My mother to this day says that she told us not to but we insisted. That is a little scary to think about...but we were not scared. What a great feeling not to be scared. I certainly am protective of my children but I don't want to be over protective. I need to teach them to be aware of their surroundings...but don't be afraid of life and the world. This is very hard to remember as a parent, but I will try and have faith in God that He is taking care of us.