"Are There Killers in America?"

Tonight during dinner Maizie asked, "Are there killers in America?" Maizie does not have much access to news or the Internet. She must have heard me or someone discussing something about the Virginia killings. That sucks. Or it could be that we took her to see Night At The Museum today where there was some miniature fighting taking place.

Joe and I were both pretty shocked. Unprepared. I tried to avoid the question until she said, "You did not answer my question! Are there killers in America?"

We have had discussions on safety many times. Talks about strangers and how adults don't always have to be obeyed. But, this question brought a new depth of concern for Maizie. She kept pushing the conversation. Why are people bad? Where are the bad people? Will they shoot me?

We did not make the world seem all rosy but tried our best to explain that there are good and bad people in the world. It is hard to explain this without terrifying a kid.

I know we have fewer fears compared to where some families live. We are truly fortunate. Part of me wished that Maizie did not need to know about bad people killing other people. I don't think totally shielding her from the evil in the world would do her any favors in life though.

Children need to know the truth about our world, in a way that they can understand it. This is difficult since I have a hard time understanding evil myself.

What a relief it is to be able to tell her that God is always with us. Even in this broken world he continues loving us. God will protect us through good and bad. If I did not have this to fall back on I don't know how I would comfort her through her new found fears.