Imagine Yourself in the Story

There is a family that one day decided to go on a boating trip. They had a wonderful time fishing and swimming in the ocean. The water was crystal clear and you could see for miles. The sky was the most brillant blue and the clouds looked like big puffy marshmellows just hanging around enjoying watching the family swim, play, fish and enjoy themselves and each other.

The dad was diving off the side of the boat with everyone and showing how funny he could do a belly flop. Mom laughed so hard that she thought her sides would never stop hurting. All 3 of the children were rolling on the floor of the boat holding their sides and laughing so hard that their jaw muscles hurt.

All of the chores and the routine of the outside world were completly forgotten. Homework was long gone. Driving to work in the heavy traffic was yesterday. There was not a bad thought in any of the families head. No cussing, no fussing. Only laughing and playing and hugging.

The sky starts to get cloudy with dark, dark, angry clouds. In the distance there is rain that can be seen across the ocean. Every once in awhile the parents see lightening strikes and they start to get a little concerned for the safety of the family. They tell the children know that they may have to head to shore where they will be safe. The children are having so much fun that they protest and say they don't want to go to shore. They want to stay and have fun and play and laugh more. But of course the parents try their best to explain the situation and how dangerous things can become. They explain to the children that it is the parents job to make sure that the children are safe.

The parents begin to start packing the boat to make the journey safely to shore. The ask the children to pitch in and help so that they can get to shore faster before the storm over takes the boat. One of the children helps out and tries to get the other two children to pitch in and help. The smallest child does his best to help, but is limited to things that he can do to help. The other child complains that he/she doesn't care if they go in that he/she wants to stay and play. Of course none of the children want to go to shore. They don't want to go to safety because they do not understand. Understanding comes in later years from experience.

The rain starts and the sky becomes so dark that it appears to be night. The parents have everything and everyone ready to head back to shore. The boat is heaving with the winds and the waves. The parents are so concerned that they may not make it to shore.

A horrible wave over takes the boat and the boat capsizes. Now all of the family are out of the boat and looking and calling for each other. Everyone knows how to swim, everyone knows what to do in an emergency. It all hit so fast that confussion took over. Panic, everywhere! Where are the children? The parents can hear them calling. Both parents remain calm because they know what to do, they know how to deal with emergencies. They know because they have experience. The children have been told over and over again and again what to do and how to act. How to think calm and react in a productive and positive way. A way that everyone will benefit from their actions and reactions. The parents are trying to reach the children and finally they reach all three of them.

The whole family feels so much better now that they are together. They have not made it to safety yet but they felt safer being together. As the storm continued to rage and the family remained together, one of the children started to fight and say that he/she was tired. The child continued to struggle with the parents that tried to keep the child calm. The parents tried so hard, they thought of everything that they could possibly think of. The other children were starting to get dragged under by the child that was struggling and fighting that now there safety was a concern. After everyone had been pulled under several times something had to be done. What does a parent do to save their children? In an ocean that is wild and vast, how does a parent make a decision? Are you thinking what I am thinking?

When you are in an ocean with your children and one of the children is close to drowning you and the other children, what do you do? You do everything that you can to save everyone. Once you see that there is no hope and that your children are all about to drown, you cut the one loose that is drowning your other children. You have to save the ones that you can save!

What would you do?
Do not ask about life jackets because in life there are no life jackets.