~* Innocence lost *~

I need to travel to Paris for business tomorrow. Which is wonderful and I can't wait to wander the streets of the city of lights in all her Christmas glory... And I'm not afraid for myself because of the recent attacks... But my little boys are terrified. "No we don't let you go!" "Maman please stay with us...". "What if there is another attack and you die."

What do I tell them...The answer needs to be both true and comforting. And in this case the truth doesn't comfort them one bit. That I believe nothing will happen... That I will be careful... That the police are going to be everywhere and very alert...

And my eldest son reads (and quotes to me) Le Monde's predictions of a possible chemical or biological attack. My little boy cried himself to sleep in my arms two past nights. And still I have no choice, I have to go.

Before Paris, they didn't know about Breivik, school shootings, September 11th... And now they ask if I'll fly with the same kind of normal passenger plane that was crashed into the World Trade Center. That do I know there is an island in Norway where children were on summer camp and somebody knocked on the door saying he was a police officer... And then he shot and killed all the children. To this, Luca says "I'm not afraid for myself but for you Maman."

I so wish I could have protected their innocence, even if only a little bit longer.

~*~