Years ago, as my youngest was about to go off to college, he was riding w/ me – a captive audience – – –
He protested at first, when I explained to him I had to tell him something before he left home.
He replied: “Dad I’ve heard you talk of this, thousands of times . . .”
I persisted, telling him I couldn’t live w/ myself, if I didn’t say it.
He stared blankly out the window as I began: “I know you know all this, but someday, one of your friends will hint he’s going to try pot. When that happens, … convince him to wait, … to watch his friends who are already using … to see them totally changing, to see their lives begin to go down the toilet … You just may save a friend’s life, if they listen,” I concluded, just as we pulled into our drive.
I expected him to ‘cut & run’ – head into the house immediately as he often did. He didn’t. Eyes welled up, before he shut the work-van’s door while I was gathering my day’s paperwork, he looked at me, squarely in the eye and said: “I wish you’d have said that to me long ago.”
I never found out who he was referring to, not specifically, but I suspect; I don’t need to know.
Pot is a gateway drug and it’s gone from around 1-2% THC to near 20 times as powerful! It’s no longer, their parent’s pot! I know; I’m a former user.
My youngest went on to not only graduate but got his master’s and worked in Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – he’s now returned to Oregon, and works as a counselor.
It was my love for my older children that drove me … One’s grown and is a fine, man, with his head on straight – I couldn’t be more proud of both my boys! My daughter? I still grieve – she’s still struggling ….
We never quit loving our children, no matter how lost they become. I’ll hate drugs with a passion until I die! Nothing good comes from “using”!
We make mistakes as we go through life – seems we can only count on God, fervent, persistent prayer, and sometimes . . . eventually, often after learning the hard way, we do things a little bit right.
Thank You Father! And thank you Drug Watch!
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