Elena Bosch Over the weekend, on one of our typical Target trips, my son made a sprint from the book section to the electronics aisle in what I can only imagine was his attempt to mimic dash from The Incredibles. As I scooped him up and placed him in the cart, he somberly said to me, “Mama. You made me sad.”
I let out a deep sigh and said to my son, “My job is to keep you safe. My job is not to keep you happy.”
“Why?” asked my little one.
“Because that’s my job … to keep you safe. Until you’re able to keep yourself safe, that’s my number one job … to keep you safe.*”
Here’s what I really wanted to say to him but I will save this for when he’s a little older:
The truth is, I know you’re not always going to be safe. There will be times, (hopefully when you’re older) that you might want to do something dangerous like ride your bike up a dirt ramp and let yourself feel the cool air as you soar above the ground.
You might want to stand your two feet on a small, thin board and go 35 mph down a mountain in the snow. You might want to climb rocks taller than skyscrapers. You might want to travel to places you’ve never been and make adventures of your own. But if I don’t teach you the basics of being safe first, you may never get to do any of those things.
The other truth is: You’re not always going to be happy. And sometimes things happen and Mommy or Daddy might not be there to help you. That’s life. And I’d rather you learn that lesson now rather than later when I may not be around.
So, for today my job is to keep you safe. My job is not to keep you happy. Because one day, my son, you will grow into the caring, observant, inquisitive, independent person you already are starting to become and you will find your own happiness in this world. Until then, I am just doing my job because I love you.
