-Kids riding in cars who aren’t in car seats–some toddlers are actually sitting in the front seat.
-People in bridal parties who chew gum.
-When people behind me at the grocery store stand REALLY close-giving me no personal space.
-People I don’t know reprimanding my kids in front of me….I know you didn’t!

The ‘Crack’ issue is one that I just can’t understand either…do parents not check to see what their children are wearing before they leave the house?

Tiffany, you are truly an inspiration to moms everywhere. I have laughed and cried reading this blog. I also look forward to the new posts from you, Tim and your family and friends. I join Mark and Terry and everyone else, especially Alfega in the prayers sent your way. So many people are blessed from this blog in ways you’ll never imagine.
You have helped this semi-seasoned mama to be an even better one. If there’s ever anything I can do let me know.
Much love and many Blessings,
Susie

On a typical day, cars race up and down as if it were a major thoroughfare. Just today, I was standing at the end of my driveway with my five year old son, and his basketball around 11:00 a.m. We were chatting with Tiffany was walking the twins in a stroller, when a car sped by so fast that she felt the need to step into the street and loudly demand that the lady slow down. I was also motioning for her to slow down. The lady simply swerved to avoid Tiffany and kept on going. We shared a heated discussion about how scary the traffic has become in our neighborhood. Shortly thereafter, my next door neighbor stepped out to share with me a story about how a young boy, that he had known as a child, not much older than my son, was killed by a speeding driver, in their neighborhood, on their street, in front of friends and his own mother.

Is this what it is going to take in our neighborhood? The death of a child? Something no one wants to think is possible. Every parent’s worst nightmare. But, with the speed of traffic on this street, and many others in our neighborhood, it is not something to ignore. It is not something to push to the back of our thoughts. It is not something we can or should take lightly.

I heard one parent in the neighborhood was confronted about his son’s habitual speeding. The parent of the speeder reportedly said, “keep your kids out of the street”. It isn’t just teen driver’s either. There are just as many grown adults, parents of young children, who speed through this neighborhood. I could share many stories. But, the bottom line is “our streets are not safe”.

The police do their best to patrol these streets. I commend them. But, they have other responsibilities than just handing out tickets. This neighborhood should not provide a full time job to the police force. We have got to be responsible whether the police are sitting around the corner or not. Because, what if, instead of the police sitting around the corner waiting to ticket you, there is a small innocent child playing basketball in their driveway? What if that child’s parent has reminded them day in and day out to never chase a ball into the street? What if that child normally remembers not to go into the street? But just what if that young, innocent child forgets, just once? And, what if that just once is when you are rounding a corner so fast that you couldn’t stop, even if you wanted to? What if you lived the rest of your life knowing that you took the life of an innocent little baby who was just out of their parents reach when you saw them, but couldn’t slam on the brakes fast enough?

Children are precious. And they are fast. And they are forgetful. Parents, who intend to watch their child’s every move, can’t possibly. Parents who remind their children daily not to go into the street know there will be a day when their child just simply forgets. It takes a community to protect our children. Please choose to be a part of a protective, caring community. One that values the lives of our children. After all, how much time do you really save by speeding down a neighborhood street? Maybe seconds. Certainly not even minutes. Are those seconds worth a life?