Dear Dawn: Okay, you got me through the what ifs about my kids missing out on school if we take a trip like yours. But I’ve got plenty of what ifs left regarding the safety of these countries.  You’re telling me you weren’t ever afraid?

Hi again, What if . . . Ha!  Of course I was afraid.  But when I’m telling my kids to overcome their fears, I can’t add a list of my exceptions.

If someone were to offer you a free trip for you and your family, is there someplace you would refuse to go?  (other than Somalia, Afghanistan, Iran, etc.)   Used to be Russia for me.  I’ve heard the cold war, communism stories – don’t need to see or be the evidence.  And even though the USSR had been broken up in 1991, in my mind I still saw ‘the enemy.’

And I didn’t want my kids to end up like this:

Sad how we condition ourselves based upon our fears.  Eleanor Roosevelt lived by this motto:  Do one thing everyday that scares you.  Whoa.  I had years of fears to catch up with.  And as far as I could tell moms aren’t supposed to let kids see ‘em sweat!

When I marched forth into Russia with my comrades, I fully expected to see American-haters and men on buildings with Uzi’s pointed at my family.  But other than a few serious faces (how happy do you look in 16-degrees below Zero?), these are the things I noticed:

Took courage to send my youngest into the throws of evil Russian school children. Joke’s on me!  Just as Jesus once said: “A little child shall lead them.” 

Don’t let your fear of what could happen make nothing happen!

Start by doing a bit of investigation about the places and people that scare you most.  They also have children.

Dawn