Posted by 3Dee on July 21, 2011, 11:11 am, in reply to "Re: This is Sick.."
I am surprised about a lot of what I hear about teens.
Some of the worst ones are doing things that didn't even enter my mind half a life ago when I was a teen.
Some of the best ones are so altruistic, and make me ask myself, how could I have ever been so short-sighted and selfish.
Please remember that when you hear stories like this.
There are people doing things outlandishly bad, and it gives their generation a bad rap.
Yet, there are others out there truly seeking to make a difference.
In all of this - the one thing that surprises me about teens today....
I have to talk about church..but to focus more on the teens.
Anyway...some teens came off this retreat encounter and were allowed to come up to the mic and talk about what the experience meant to them.
2-3 of the teens that spoke said -- "This helped me to see how much you appreciate me and I feel so bad that I haven't appreciated what you have done for me. Before I left, I wasn't sure if you still loved me...but now I really know.
Now that was a bombshell to me.
In all of my selfish teenage moments, tantrums, curse words under my breath, and gesutres out of anger toward a closed door... I never had a doubt I was loved and they never doubted that I loved them back.
They knew how to get angry, and being their son, so did I. My mouth got me slapped...or grounded (but never a trip to 'time out'.) But in all that that, I know They didn't stop loving me or them...I just probably got a little pissed and at times they did too.
There was never a question about whether or not there was love. We knew it was there..in spite of it all.
Now what is the point to this long diatribe you ask?
It's never good to compare my childhood to others'. Because mine is only one experience and not the benchmark.
However, if the kids really feel like they are not loved. They are likely less able to return love to their parents.
How can a child ever feel that mom or dad doesn't love him or her? (In non-abusive, non-threatening cases)
I am just wondering what makes the lives of mom and dad..worthless to a child?
I don't want to play 'Armchair Psychologist'...
But if it's not established on a daily basis or at least a few times a week that parents love their children or children love their parents..then maybe the family unit will unravel to the point where people stop feeling that their family members are valuable to them.
I was told I was loved...on a daily basis. So I was loved, hugged and kissed - from no-nonsense parents - many more times than I was slapped. Couldn't say goodnight without a hug, or end a phone conversation without an 'I love you'
I really do feel that the words 'I love you' need to be said, if indeed you love that person. Children need to hear it from their parents, and the parents need to hear it from their children.
It's just an opinion -- as always take it for what it's worth.
on July 21, 2011, 11:11 am, in reply to "