Wild World

Whenever people find out I have three sons, often their response is, "Oh, it's a shame you never had a daughter!" I disagree. It isn't that I don't like girls; I love my granddaughters to pieces. I really believe, though, that some women are meant to be mothers to only sons. I am one of them. Before I had my first, I wanted a girl. After the first one, I wanted all my kids to be boys. It's got its downsides; I can't count the number of injuries I've had to doctor on my own or take them to the ER for. It's a good thing I'm calm in an emergency! My youngest didn't have quite as many incidents as the older two, but I think he's the only one who ever broke a bone, two actually -- his forearm when he was two and his foot when he was twelve. The only other downside I can think of -- and this is equally an upside -- is that all three of my sons are very protective of me, especially the eldest.

When he called on Mother's Day, we were on the phone for several hours. He felt compelled to point out the dangers of my traveling alone in Mexico: "Don't leave your hotel property, but if you do for any reason, scuff up your shoes and dress like a vagabond." I couldn't help laughing, but he was completely serious. He also thinks my getting a rental car is a bad idea, and I've kind of come around on that one. His thoughts are that it would be easy for me to find myself in a bad area if I'm driving, and that I would end up in danger. My thoughts are that driving and parking will probably be more trouble than it's worth, and gassing up and dropping off the car before I leave will be a hassle. If I leave my hotel only for any of the excursions I'm planning, a tour/activity bus will pick me up. Transportation from the airport to the hotel and back is expensive, as I'm sure general shuttling around will be, but I don't intend to leave much.

I like that my kids want to warn me about the dangers of the world and to make sure I keep myself safe. I also like that they do it in a way that doesn't make me feel like they think I'm helpless. After all, it really is a wild world out there; we have to do our best to protect each other.