It’s a scary world out there. You deal daily, even hourly with anxiety, drama, peer pressure, and more. As you get older, you will find yourself making choices that will ultimately decide the adult whom you will become.
My job is to give you roots, but also allow you to spread your wings. As you enter the tween and teen years, you think you are ready to fly but as a mom I know that some of those roots are still growing and need to have a little more stability first.
There are many things you will encounter in the tween and teen years, but the one that has been weighing heavy on my mind is drugs. It is a fact that some are deadly. I urge you to be cautious, be smart, and don’t give in to peer pressure.
Don’t worry … I’m not naive. I know what’s out there and I know the pressure you will feel because I have been there. I know it is not realistic to think you will never encounter the opportunity to make the wrong choice. I hope that open lines of communication and helping you to be self-confident will make the years a little easier for all of us.
So, I have another idea for you.
Get high by climbing your first mountain and reaching the summit.
Get high from the feeling you get that first time you walk out on stage for your solo performance on the piano.
Get high by watching the sunset with the one you love.
Get high the first time your heart skips a beat watching your prom date walk toward you.
Get high by charging onto the field for your first football game as quarterback.
Get high by sitting outside on a starry night and catching a glimpse of a shooting star.
Get high by training for a marathon, running it, and crossing that finish line.
Get high by gathering a group of friends to go white water rafting.
Get high from the moment when you make that three point shot in the last ten seconds of your basketball game.
Get high by riding on that zipline as you feel free as a bird.
Get high by completing your end of year speech in front of your class as they applaud and stand for you.
There are so many ways to experience a natural high with just actions and emotions. The opportunities are endless and as you get older they will become more plentiful.
The highs you get from the amazing moments in life, instead of from substances, will be remembered so much more fondly and will leave you feeling on top of the world, not guilty for your choices.
Best of luck, my children. May your roots keep you planted on the ground and your wings encourage you to fly safely.