Safety Net

Grandma Hite:  I've got you!

There is no better safety net than God and your family.  I love this picture because it says it all.  Grandma was more than willing to go exploring with you, Cade.  But she wasn't going to let you go without a little safety net - she held tight to your belt as you inched your way over the edge to check out the creek below.

As you grow up, you'll appreciate this safety net less and less then eventually you'll circle back and appreciate it more and more.  Funny how we have to go through these cycles in life.

I also felt safest with my grandparents - honestly, looking back, they were the closest thing to Super Heros in real life.  They could do anything.  They knew stuff that no one else knew.  They could build things from nothing.  They could turn a drawer of old clothes into a magical playhouse.  They could tell us stories about horse drawn buggies that would keep us seated and quiet for hours (or at least for long minutes).  They had the best jokes.  They played games with us from Monopoly and Careers to Kick the Can and Tag. 

But they ALWAYS warned us, protected us and made sure we knew their house was a safe place.  We could share our deepest secrets.  We could tell them our biggest fears.  We could cry with them and laugh with them in the same conversation.

We also knew the rules - no getting too close to the pond, no running through the upstairs of the old milk barn (there were holes in the floor that could be covered with hay until you step there), no playing with guns (ever) - they aren't toys, be careful on the roads whether crossing it or biking it, always wear a helmet on the 4-wheelers, and the list goes on.  We didn't ALWAYS like the rules but looking back I certainly understand each one of them.

Just remember that you have a long family history of safety nets.  You have grandparents, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, first cousins, second cousins, parents and even a sibling to back you up, hold you up and encourage you along this journey that we call "life".