We went to a Christmas party a few weeks ago, and everyone exchanged white elephant gifts. We wrapped up an old straw hat to give and ended up bringing home two DVDs — one of “I Love Lucy” and another of “The Andy Griffith Show.” I say we got the better end of the deal — though the straw hat made for some funny photos.

We watched Andy Griffith last night — a rare occasion when all of us gathered around the TV. I normally can’t sit through any kind of sitcom, but we loved this show and all laughed so hard. This is the episode where Opie doesn’t want to go to school because his new history teacher is too mean. Andy tells him that history was hard for him too, and he doesn’t see why memorizing all those dates is such a big deal.

Well, the new teacher wasn’t happy at all when Opie caused an uproar in the class as he announced his dad’s lack of interest in history. And she goes to see Andy to give him a piece of her mind! It’s funny because she’s quite attractive, and after she leaves, Andy holds up his foot and says, “Now how did I ever get a foot this big to fit into my mouth?” (Try to explain that idiom to kids.)

So Andy gets Opie and all his friends interested in history by telling them the spellbinding tale of Paul Revere, and they start a Minute Men of Mayberry Club. Of course, Barney Fife is bug-eyed with excitement and asks if he can join in too (before he remembers he’s an adult and has to act cool and disinterested.)

What struck me about this show — which I haven’t seen in years — is how simple life was in Mayberry. Aunt Bee sent Opie out the door to walk alone to school after breakfast. Imagine that! No, we moms today can’t imagine that.

We wouldn’t dare send our kids out the door to let them walk alone to school. We either homeschool our children, drive them to school, or at least make sure they get on the school bus safely. I don’t know any parent who would send their kids out the door and say, “Got your lunch? Have a nice day!” Do people still do that?

Then, after school Aunt Bee didn’t have to haul Opie around to soccer practice, art lessons, karate, and 4-H Club because the town was safe enough for him and his friends to hang out together — with no adults around. They wandered over to the sheriff’s office and told Opie’s dad all the details of their school day. Aunt Bee was also busy doing her own thing.

The key word here: safety. Mayberry was a safe place where people could be trusted. But it doesn’t exist today. Which is one reason why most moms with young children I know say they feel “exhausted” at least some of the time. What if we could all send our kids to school in the morning (to a good school that we trusted to teach them God’s Word), then let them wander around with their friends playing in the streets after school? And we didn’t have to work to help provide income? We’d all be together laughing and gabbing — sharing recipes, telling stories, asking each other questions.

I guess that’s why we keep a blog and visit each other online. I wonder if Aunt Bee would be a blogger today.

It was fun watching Ron Howard act as a child. If you’ve seen the Narnia movie and got there in time for the previews, you probably remember seeing Howard all grown up discussing the latest project he produced, Curious George. I think it’s due to be released next month.

I’ve been whistling the Andy Griffith song around the house ever since.