Recently, as my friend 
My sisters were there as well, and after my friends departed for a sleepy journey home, we recounted tales of our own childhood: playing neighborhood kick-the-can in the pitch black, being outside with friends running around until the street lights came on (the universal symbol of it being time to go home), and the freedom of riding our bikes as far as we were allowed to go (which was actually pretty far in those days).
Unfortunately, our conversation took a darker turn as we discussed how much things have changed since then. With three missing children in my community in the last six years (all three being from the two surrounding small towns adjacent to our larger city), and one college student missing in another community nearby, fear has slowly become the prison in which our children must play. Sadly, two of the children who went missing six years ago were found dead, while the third child is still unaccounted for after being gone for almost four months. The young lady who was out for a run hasn't been heard from in several weeks. As a parent, it makes your heart stop when you can't see your child at all times at the playground or when one decides to take off and run down the block because they are being an obstinate three-year-old. It deeply saddens me that my children, at least in our current town, will never experience the freedoms that I enjoyed, the carefree evening wanderings, and exhilirating nighttime games that are so engrained in my memory.
Lately, I have had a restless feeling that maybe this community isn't meant to be mine for much longer. I love my house, my neighbors, and my neighborhood. It is relatively safe. I have a feeling of home here that I don't believe I have felt in any of the other homes I have lived in throughout my adult life. I absolutely trust my neighbors to look out for my children. My heart would be so sad to leave the house in which I felt that I would raise a family and grow old. On the other hand, I want my children to know the freedoms I experienced and to know that they will be safe while they are making memories. I don't want their play to be held captive by fear.
Maybe, just maybe, moving them to our own bit of land would give them more freedom to run and explore. Or maybe, our world should just change so that young ones can be safe out in the world. I know that every time I see children of the neighborhood playing, even if they are older, I'm vigilantly keeping watch over them and hope the favor is returned for mine. I'm so sad that the memories that my sisters and I were reliving were marred by the reality of today's world.
(Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com)
