All of my childhood years I had never had a reaction to poison ivy. My mother never did either. I remember times when both my mother and I would yank it out of the ground without a second thought.

I am 30 years old now and had my first reaction when I was about 25. I’ve had a few mild reactions since the first, but I also have a new respect for the plant! I don’t want to see how severe the next bout could be.

The lesson here: Don’t ever think that you are immune to the poison ivy plant. And in case you are wondering, yes, my 65-year-old mother had to go get a shot just last summer when she had her first reaction, a severe one, not even knowing where she came in contact with it!

(Editor’s note: the kid in the photo is not the writer of this story, but he sure is cute! And gardening with kids is a great thing.)