What's really important?

[wiseOLDman]

I just saw this on another board and immediately thougth of the Parenting section on LS. Hope y'all think it's relevant:

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A mother passing by her daughter's bedroom was astonished to see the

bed was nicely made and everything was picked up.

 

Then she saw an envelope propped up prominently on the center of the

bed. It was addressed, "Mom."

 

With the worst premonition, she opened the envelope and read the

letter with trembling hands:

 

Dear Mom,

 

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to

elope with my new boyfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you.

 

I've been finding real passion with John and he is so nice-even with

all his piercings, tattoos, beard, and his motorcycle clothes. But it's

not only the passion mom, I'm pregnant and John said that we will be very happy.

 

He already owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for

the whole winter. He wants to have many more children with me and

that's now one of my dreams too.

 

John taught me that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone and we'll be

growing it for us and trading it with his friends for all the cocaine

and ecstasy we want.

 

In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so

John can get better; he sure deserves it!!

 

Don't worry Mom, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of

myself. Some day I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to

know your grandchildren.

 

Your daughter, Judith

 

 

 

PS: Mom, none of the above is true. I'm over at the neighbor's house.

I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than my

report card that's in my desk center drawer. I love you! Call when it

is safe for me to come home.

[Moose]

I guess I'm the only one who's going to respond to this. That's a cute letter and I understand the meaning and premise behind it, so keep in mind that I fully understand it's function.

 

Here's the deal though. Mrs. Moose and I became pregnant before we wed. Her Father born and raised in Church, no TV, living the spotless life he does wanted to hunt me down and kill me. I was the long hair, ear pierced, holy jean wearer that got his daughter knocked up.

 

Luckily for me he realized it took two of us to create this problem and has given me the grace to draw breathe. Anyways, I didn't even own my trailer, I was renting it, but we got married, didn't elope, but it was an awkward ceremony to say the least.

 

I'm sure that at that time her mom and dad were feeling that the worst has happened and they might as well accept that fate.

 

Let's just say that the letter this daughter wrote to her mother, the boyfriend character resembled myself, (only on pot and beer), when Mrs. Moose and I realized we had someone else to think about from now on.

 

Things changed over time, and I'm proud of not only how much we've grown, but also what my kids have become.

 

The last part of the letter, the post script said that this scenerio wasn't true, she was just next door and that if the letter had been true, she'd be in a much, much worse situation.

 

Had I read this 17 years ago, I would've taken great offense to it. Now, though, I wonder how I came to be who I am and how I was able to raise such fine children. This is going to cause me to re-examine myself, while at the same time it shed more light onto the reason why I think people hate to be stereo typed.

 

Thanks.

[tiki]

Wow. Thanks for posting it!

 

Priorities in check!