home to safety

This week in Primary, a little 4-yr old girl gave the closing prayer. A leader whispered to her what to say and from my vantage point at the piano I could hear the intended words of the adult as well as the mangled version of the child. Absolutely nothing the adult said came out of the child’s mouth in tact. Now, this is not unusual, I mention it because of the very last plea of the prayer which was meant to be “Bless us to go home safely.” Instead, the child said, “Bless us to go home to safety.” What a profound difference.

It gave me a start because I have only recently realized the value of safety at home. I’m not speaking of physical safety, although that certainly is important. I’m thinking of emotional safety. Our homes should be the place where our needs are respected and our desires at least validated. It should be a place where our opinions are heard, our ideas have merit, and our dreams are nurtured. Our homes should be the safe place to sort through our feelings, to make mistakes, where we have a chance to stretch and grow and learn what works and what doesn’t. When there is safety at home, we are safe to be our truly wonderful selves and gain the confidence to share that self with those outside.

In a home that is not safe, there is criticism, mocking, insults and put-downs. There is anger and punishment that is much too harsh. There is fear and insecurity. It is hard to thrive in an environment that is not emotionally safe. It is the relationships in the home that make it safe, or not. Safe relationships, those characterized by loving kindness, encouragement, support and compassion, create a safe environment. I think that creating and maintaining safe relationships should be the highest priority in every family.

And so, “Amen” to that profound prayer, “Bless us to go home to safety.” Bless us all…