Family Ties

Today my little sister had her heart broken - for the first time - and it makes me so sad to "see" her like this. She's a strong girl with a level head, and she's handling it remarkably well but I know she's hurting inside. No amount of compartmentalization can make a break-up easy for a girl... Sometimes I wish we were more like guys in that area!

All of this drama gives me a taste of what it'll be like when its MY daughter's feelings that have been trampled. From the instant she was born, I knew I'd lay my life down for her. But how can you save someone from being hurt without sheltering them from the whole world? What's the right balance of exposure and protection? These are the questions that already keep me up at night. I always said that my kids wouldn't be 'homeschool weird' and I still stand by that, but maybe the people who end up with kids like that were just trying to protect them to begin with. Can I blame them for wanting to guard the hearts and minds of their progeny? Oh the joy and pain of parenthood! One of these days I'll have all the answers :-)