Reality Check: People all around are growing up

Some reality checks are hard to handle. I've had a few lately.

One of the hardest reality checks has been in my own household. Reality Check: YARM13YOL is not a baby (still a child) anymore, she is struggling to find her place the world of Jr. High and teenagers and all of those who love her most are in danger of getting their feelings stomped on, we must remember that old saying "Stick and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" and that my friends is the hardest thing to remember. She will have different kind of struggle mainly because I am not her mother. I can only pray that I do what I was asked 13 years ago to do and I hope that I do the best I can and keep her safe and guide her in the right direction. During her struggle things are not going to be fun at our home. I know that I've tried some funny tactics this week and it has kept the peace, but not for long. I made a promise to her last night that I would continue to do my best with her. I am finished begging her to be nice, I am finished begging her to do her homework, I am finished with all the fighting. She is 13 years old, and yes I am ruining her life in her eyes, but that is my job, someone made me responsible for these 2 kids and I will forge ahead and hope that as she walks across that stage in 5 years(hopefully) and picks up her diploma that I have prepared her for life the best I knew how.

It saddens me that she is telling people that she hates her life. I am the one providing her with the life she has and if she hates her life, this means that I am failing.

Another reality check for me this week, today actually, my little brother has grown up. Below is an email that he sent me this morning, spell checked and everything. It was easier for my to realize that Andy is grown...he's married, kids, settled, but Scott, everytime I think of him its imagine him on a motorcycle or even so far as to remember that blonde, blue eyed bugger running around in Batman and Robin briefs playing Star Wars...I am proud...

(from my youngest brother Scott, the one legged lineman)To All:

My friends will know I have been a firm republican and was raised by a adamant republican and staunch conservative with a strong belief that no one has the right to choose to take a life, and a belief that the government should never provide entitlement programs nor should we be systematically removing god from the class rooms or from public domain. All that said, let me respond from the cuff to the email below.
I don't intend to persuade anyone to go any direction, nor do I think you should let anyone else, or any other emails or blogs convince you how to vote, nor should you let a church or a boss convince you. What you should do is read, listen, research and educate your self on the decisions at hand and make your own informed decision, independent of anyone esle's opinion. The letter outlined in the links below is very average as an attempt to convince you of something, the only thing in that letter of real substance to the argument being made is where she said the reason she believes the law should not be passed is that it does nothing to protect the health of the mother, meaning if the abortion is not carried out it could result in an un-safe pregnancy and possibly threaten the life of the mother and the baby. So you know, I don't support any type of abortion.
So, is he, and she, wrong for the country? Maybe that's true, maybe they are the 100% wrong choice, but you cant make that decision by reading one letter, or by a candidates position on one singular issue, no matter how sacred that issue is. just as important is the ability to afford to raise this child in question, and to provide health-care for this child, to provide a safe country to live in, to provide a good education, to provide a secure economic future, to work to provide a secure partnership and reputation in the world abroad, and to leave their children our grandchildren a better and more secure country than we were given, the same way our parents strived to give us more than they had been given.
Those are a few of many things to consider, not more important than others, but equally as important, and they should be considered equally.
Here's a thought I ponder often the older I get and is my response to the argument made in the links below. It may not be worded eloquently, but read it and think about what I'm trying to get across to you.
Should we fight to elect someone, who will work to pass and up-hold a law, that will prevent our children from choosing abortion, or should we spend our energy raising children who do not need a law to tell them that abortion is wrong.
Are we raising a nation that looks to government to help us and our children make good decisions by passing laws that force them to do what we think is right? That's not what our parents did, our parents raised us to make the right decisions on our own and they did not hope that someone would legislate us into to a corner that forced us to make the right decisions. They hoped what they did, was lay a foundation that would lead us to make the right decisions based on what we knew to be right and wrong, and when we did they were proud.
So the final question is, if we do the same, what do we have to fear by someone having that right to choose.
Just some thoughts, of a person raised republican who has yet to decide who to vote for, and when I do it will be based on what I learn on my own, not what I'm convinced to believe.
Lastly, my Father did a great job laying the foundation to make the right decisions, problem is many times I was to stubborn or to closed minded to use that work he did raising me to make the right decisions, and now I am fighting to reverse the consequences of those decisions. However, I would not have wanted laws to force me to choose differently.
This time however is different, and this election to important, to choose incorrectly. Rather you vote for John McCain, or Barack Obama, just be sure you make that decision independently, and that we educate ourselves fully prior to deciding, then lets pray for the sake of our children's future that the majority of us are right.
Scottie