[ Poems, Stories, Etc. ]

To My Daughter... Words to the Wise

"Don't grow up too fast!" I say,

echoing words from the past

that were not heeded when I heard them.

I pray that they will be this time.

Mistakes get harder on you

With each generation that makes them.

"I want to tell you not to do the things I've done."

But you ask me why? Why not?

What is so wrong with your life?

Why can't I make the mistakes you made, Mom?

What can I answer to this?

I don't want you to be limited in any way.

I don't want you to be held back.

I don't want you to have to change the direction of your life

Because you've made mistakes you must deal with.

I want you to fly high above all the small town losers

Who will never be anything more than minimum wage junkies

Watching tv and having babies as a passtime.

I want you to live in an exotic place

And I want you to command respect when you walk by.

I want them to say, "There she goes. I want to be like her."

Keep your spunk, don't let anything hold you back.

And don't think that you have to keep up with the kids you look up to.

They have problems too. Just different ones than you do.

Please be strong when you are out there and they offer you a drink.

Please say, "No. I'm better than that." And smile when you walk away from them

Knowing that you ARE.

When they want you to try drugs, say "I need all the brain cells I have, thank you." And then, with a sly grin, say "And I think probably you need more than me."

And when that boy tells you, "if you really love me you will" tell him, "if you really love ME you won't ask me to."

You find out right there how they really feel. If they walk away they didn't care anyway.

Sex is something that you can live without, and your virginity never grows back.

And your first time should ALWAYS be something special and magical… never something drunk and disorderly. If that boy can't give you special and magical then why should you give him your one time special gift???

Always remember there is a phone with me and Daddy at the other end of it.

One call is all it takes to be rescued from whatever is going on.

Drinking, smoking, sex, fights, crime.

All you have to do is call. We won't kill you for doing the RIGHT thing.

Use your head…don’t put yourself in situations where something might hurt you.

Even if you have to walk home, don't ride with drunks or strangers.

Don't let words hurt you. They are only words.