How did we get here so fast?

When my daughter was two weeks old, I watched a documentary about a young Australian man who tried to smuggle drugs through Singapore airport to make a few bucks so he could help his twin brother out of a financial rut. He was subsequently sentenced to death. 

I remember after watching it I sat in the bath cradling my tiny, sweet, innocent newborn baby in my arms, and I cried, and cried. Blame it on the hormones, or who knows, but all I could think about was that mother’s grief. I felt it. It was so real. And then I started to panic. I was terrified I’d forget to teach my daughter something crucial – like never ever smuggle drugs or you may be sentenced to death by firing squad. I worried for the world that she would grow up in, about all the bad things happening in the world, and all the bad people who might try to hurt her. I felt completely overwhelmed by the sheer enormousness of responsibility that I held in my arms. I just wanted to protect her forever. I held her close to me, and I hugged her. Continue Reading →