Likely one of the hardest jobs there is, to be a good parent. To watch over yet teach to stand alone. To always make the right decision when it comes to safety yet allow for fun and experience.
In Westfield, MA, two very similar tragedies:
An eight year-old boy shoots himself accidentally at a gun club show while his father stands beside him.
A seven year-old boy and his mother are killed by a driver while out trick-or-treating.
What thought, what time went into those decisions on the part of the parents? Is an eight year-old boy strong enough and smart enough to handle an Uzi, even with a certified instructor and his dad standing by? Probably, but something went terribly wrong. How about the mother and her son, walking the dark streets on Halloween night, both dressed in dark clothing; the driver of the car was a licensed driver, twenty years old.
Both these parents did the best they could, the shooting instructor, and the experienced driver had never encountered a problem before, and yet a moment's reflection might have saved lives.
Then there are the overwrought and the mentally ill, and the evil, who have a second chance to reflect and still do the wrong thing: Mom threw daughter into traffic.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology