Tomorrow, my oldest daughter, Lilly Grace, starts high school.
That sentence alone makes me wonder where the years went.
A few days ago, I invited Lilly Grace and seven of her closest friends over for what they probably jokingly called a “meeting.” Their parents were there too. And yes, I had a prepared agenda. It may have felt a little formal, but the purpose was simple: helping a great group of young people think about the choices ahead of them.
We talked about cars first. Both the independence and responsibility. A bad decision behind the wheel, or a bad decision as a passenger, can change lives forever. Freedom is wonderful. It also comes with consequences.
Next came the digital world. These kids have opportunities my generation never imagined, but they also carry something we never had: a permanent digital footprint. What you post, text, share, or imply matters. It follows you.
Finally, we talked about awareness. The truth is that there are people in this world who do not have your best interests at heart. Understanding that isn’t fear. It’s wisdom.
I don’t know how much of my message landed. Time will tell.
As parents, maybe our greatest fear is that our children will learn from what we did instead of what we say. Still, love means having the hard conversations anyway.
High school should be one of the most fun seasons of their lives. My hope is they make great choices, enjoy every minute, and that all of them are sitting in my living room a few years from now for the “off to college” version of the same talk.
By God’s grace, someone shared those lessons with me. I hope they’ll pass them on one day, too.