My daughter Hattie returned from a 2 week French exchange trip yesterday. It was a thrilling and eye-opening experience for her, which was sadly punctuated the 2nd week by frightening news of bombings and manhunts happening back in Boston. We had a couple of skype sessions with her tearful over the violence, and fearful of flying back into Boston. I did my best to reassure her, and the events in Boston thankfully resolved just hours before her group returned.
All of this reminded me, again, of how lucky she is to have been too young to understand 9/11. She was five years old in 2001, and small enough that I could shield her from seeing or hearing about the horror. Those days are over.
As much as my instinct as a parent is to continue to shield her from hearing about and seeing bad things, I know that's no longer an option. Now my role is, if I'm lucky, to help her process frightening events in the world, maybe even in her own backyard, and keep them in perspective. Hattie is young and determined to live her life and experience the world, and I'm just as determined to keep her path clear so she can continue to move forward and achieve her goals - and do it without fear.
Stay strong Boston.
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