Chapter 150: The Badger Strikes
By the time Benton found the eighth wave, he still hadn’t gotten any notifications indicating advancements from his sect members. He was beginning to get worried. There was absolutely nothing he could do about whatever was going on with his disciples, though.
Well, that conclusion wasn’t one hundred percent true. Instead of taking care of the beasts currently within range of his spiritual sense, he could Quickstep back to the village and check on things, but such an action risked him not being able to find the wave again. It also meant abandoning any pretense of leaving his sect members to do the job themselves.
Benton sighed. Being a parent or grandparent or sect leader was difficult. He wanted what was best for the kids, and the optimal outcome was for them to learn how to deal with challenging tasks on their own so that, when they were adults and didn’t have anyone to clean up their messes, they’d be that much less likely to encounter a calamity they couldn’t handle.
In order for them to truly succeed against a challenge, however, there had to be a chance of disaster. They needed the freedom to fail.
Getting hurt or not killing a beast or any number of ills was a fine outcome. Low moments taught great lessons.
But.
He wanted them to grow to become fine outstanding adults, and they couldn’t do that if they died. What did it matter if they learned every lesson to the utmost if they weren’t able to reach adulthood. They needed safety. To that end, he should invent bubble wrap and keep them ensconced in it so that no one and nothing could ever hurt them.
They needed safety. They needed freedom. The two ideals were direct opposites of each other.
It was the ultimate conundrum of parenthood. Every time one’s kids stepped out of the house, they faced every risk in the world. Kidnappers. Car accidents. Bullying. Bad choices. Drugs and alcohol.
Keep them inside, and they never learn to deal with the small dangers and how to make good choices, or any choices. Let them go, and maybe they face something they’re not equipped to deal with.
Ugh.
Thankfully, none of his kids or grandkids had ever had anything actually horrible happen to them, but he and Evelyn were well aware of the risks. Many a night was spent sleepless until they heard the last of the kids return.