When Your Child is in Danger

Mothers (and fathers) spend their lives worrying about their children in one way or another. We worry about car accidents, abductions, falls, illnesses, bad marriages, and many other catastrophes that could harm our children in some way. There's no end to what our imagination and dread can come up with to keep us in a never ending state of stress.

My youngest daughter and her children are in the process of being evacuated from Bolivia right now because of the internal strife going on in that country. Her words of "being taken to the airport in an armored vehicle" have been haunting me all night long. Say what you will about the dangers of living in Canada and the States, but it hasn't come anywhere near that yet.

Her husband has to stay behind because he works at the American embassy and will only be evacuated if it closes. There have already been demonstrations outside the embassy with threats of burning it down. The stress on that little family must be beyond comprehension.

For most of us it is beyond our understanding that anyone could become so enraged with the politics of his/her country that they would impose a danger to women and children. But this is the way of the world. It's no news that soldiers and rioters move with a fury that doesn't distinguish between sexes or ages. It's the mob mentality where the mob lives in a vacuum of taking no responsibility for their actions.

My daughter seems to think all the dangers will die down within a month but I see just the beginning of a full fledged movement in South America. She said that the Bolivian people are really very tranquil and peaceful but even gentle people can be spurred to strike out if they've been pushed too far. I don't understand the politics of the country well enough to comment on them but when two huge factions are fighting for power the battle doesn't end until one of them wins. I don't see this happening in a month.

In any case, like all mothers, I just want to see my family safe and don't give a damn about the politics that have put them in danger.