“A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what a ship is built for.” ~John Augustus Shedd Growing up in the Midwest in a traditional family steeped in Catholic values, safety was paramount.
We adhered to conventional roles: father, mother, brother, and sister, with me as the baby sister. My parents were loving, but my mom parented through a lens of fear, constantly worrying about potential dangers.
This fierce protection was a testament to her love, yet it ingrained in me the belief that taking the safe route was the only way to navigate life.
One day, when I didn’t get off the bus because I went to a track meet after school, I was met with a sobbing woman when I got home an hour late.