boundaries

Cars whip past us as we walk to school. Slow down. This is our neighborhood and our children are trying to walk to school, I think. Ever since construction started at a major intersection near our home, people have been taking a shortcut through our neighborhood to avoid the mess.

The unmarked police car comes out of nowhere, lights flashing. As if by magic, the cars slow down.

If I was driving the car that got pulled over, I’d be bummed, thinking, Why should I get a ticket? Everyone is speeding! Getting caught is never fun. And yet the boundaries are there for a reason. In this case, the boundaries protect my children.

How often do I rail against the boundaries, without ever considering why the boundary is there? Not to ruin our fun or stifle our creativity… but to protect.