This past month, my daughter hit another milestone.  She turned eight.  For me, watching her grow is both a blessing and a curse.  Grown children are sooo much easier than babies are.  But with the passing of time, comes the inevitable teenage years, when what I say won’t hold nearly as much clout as her peers.  How can I fortify her against the many influences she will face?  Locking her away is not the answer. Neither do I want her clinging to me forever.  It’s an endless internal battle of mine.  I want her to find an independent life, but one not plagued by foolish choices. 

Lists of “DO NOT” don’t work.  People have been told not to smoke for years, they’re even shown the ill effects, and yet look around, thousands of kids pick up smoking each year.  Drug pushers are far from out of business.  The nation’s dropout rate is increasing.  STD’s are spreading like wild fire, and more and more young girls are having babies out of wedlock.  Can anything stop my daughter and the other young girls out there from joining the spiral-down-the-social-toilet our nation is experiencing?

Yes, if they will internalize this one thing, to their very core, they will survive life with its many pitfalls—you are special and of great worth.  Someone who believes themselves to be special would never dream of harming their valuable body with drugs or alcohol.  Nor would they ever allow boys to disrespect them with inappropriate affection.  Remember, only the best will do for someone of such great worth. Don’t settle for anything less.