A Letter to my Teenage Daughter

My Dearest,

I know it's not cool to listen to advice from your parents, but I thought you'd be more likely to read what I wrote than to listen to my words while trying not to roll your eyes. I wish for you to be all the things your mom and I dream for you to be. I hope you learn from our mistakes and not merely recreate them. I pray that you find faith and follow God and not the world. Understand that just because other people do it, doesn't automatically make it right. Learn to think for yourself and follow your heart for what you truly believe is the right course of action. Your life is in your hands and the decisions you make are yours and yours alone.

People will have no shortage of advice to offer you but be weary of the intentions of those supplying it. Your parents give you advice on the premise that we love and care for you, wanting you to do your best, having the best life possible. We may not be perfect, but we always have the best of intentions and no hidden agenda. Teachers, for the most part, have pure intentions. They have little to gain by misguiding you and blatantly lying to you. Some things they teach because they have to, but they can generally be trusted with the advice that they give. Your friends care for you and want you to be happy, but their intentions can sometimes be tainted. They want you to listen to them above all, but if you are in trouble, you are the one who will have to face the consequences of your actions. I am not singling anyone of your friends out as I don't even know who your friends will turn out to be. You haven't even begun to turn into the woman you will be when you read this. Friends can be loyal, loving and trustworthy, but they can also be two-faced, vindictive and bitter. People don't show their true colors until they have to.

Be wary of the company you keep. Your time is valuable and shouldn't be wasted on the brain dead. Money isn't everything. Though it may seem like it when you can't get the things you want, God always provides us with the things we need. Don't spend all your time comparing yourself to other people. No matter how high you make it up the social ladder, there's always someone higher with seemingly better stuff than you have. Try to be happy with what you have and realize you are so much better off than a lot of people. You have two loving parents who will always be by your side no matter what. Don't be afraid to let us share your life.

You may find it hard to believe, but we were both young once. We know the trials and tests you will be tempted by. Though it may seem hard to pass up the pleasures of the world, things are not always as wonderful as they appear to be. The ways of the world are fleeting and empty. In the grand scheme, they only give you loneliness and emptiness when the whole scenario plays out. You try to say that we don't know what it's like, but we do. The types of drugs, sex and peer pressure that you face might be in a different form but it's still the same as it was twenty years ago. The world hasn't changed all that much, everyone has just become more tolerant of the wickedness.

As I wrap this letter up, remember that you can always talk to me. I may not have a lot of knowledge about the details of your problem, but no matter what the subject, I will always listen. There are a lot of kids who don't have two parents, so be wise and use the gifts that God has given to you. Your mom and I love you with all your heart and we look forward to meeting you.

Love,
Dad