Something else

Macci, another woman I have stayed with on this trip was telling me about why she thinks her mother never worried about her when she was traveling the world in her younger (and current) years. She said her mother subscribes to a worldview which Macci called: 

Mothers Without Borders.

The idea is that basically, in life, whenever something truly terrible happens there are "mothers" (Macci pointed out that sometimes these mothers are not even female...) all over the world who are able to swoop in and offer comfort to you when you are in need, no matter where you are, no matter what you need. Just thinking about such a thing makes me feel safer in the world. I think there was too much emphasis on wariness and being self-reliant when I was growing up. I mean it's certainly important to be aware and independent, but in my life experience so far, I must say that a surprising number of people have helped rather than harmed me. I'm working toward trusting in the world a little more these days.