protection

there is nothing wrong with self-preservation. it's a built in instinct to keep us alive. some of us also have the instinct to protect others. 

i have been thinking a lot lately about how i was or wasn't protected as a child. there were many things that i was exposed to that were well beyond my years. and no one protected me. 

and then there were the things that i WAS protected from. 

when i was 9, my family rented a cottage for the summer. my dad discovered a hornet nest on the porch and decided that he needed to get rid of it to keep my brother and i safe. 

but he also needed to protect himself ... how do you protect yourself from a hornet's nest? 

my dad had a plan ... it started with hip waders,

followed by 4 sweaters. then he had my uncle duct tape oven mitts on his hands. and the outfit was topped off with a butterfly net over his head. 

he then went out on the porch, sprayed poison into the nest, knocked the nest down, kicked it off the porch, and sprayed more poison. 

as long as i live, i will never forget the image of my dad dressed up in hip waders, 4 sweaters, oven mitts, and a net over his head. 

my dad was protecting us and protecting himself at the same time. 

that is the way that we need to live our lives. we need to protect ourselves and others from the hornet's nests. 


be kind to yourself, 

xoxo