Being surrounded by people and still feeling alone is the worst feeling in the world. The people who are supposed to care the most, don't. It is the saddest thing in the world when one cannot simply be exposed and vulnerable with the people she should be able to trust without a shadow of a doubt. It is the damnedest thing, family! Family is supposed to be the one unit that you can bear all to, share all with. Family is supposed to be the one unit who love you unconditionally, look past your flaws, and see through your masks. Family is supposed to be there for you through your darkest days, pull you through them, and help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.
And yet, they rarely ever do. They are rarely the ones you run to first. They are rarely ever the ones you seek help from, and they are often the last ones you feel care about you. They are your last resort, at the bottom of your "to call" list, and the last people in the world you share your secrets with; they are the last unit in the world you run to first.
Father's, be good to your daughters. You are the first man they fall in love with. The fist person they call hero. The fist person they run to when they cry. The first person they seek out when they need comfort. If you abuse that privilege, you are teaching them what to look for in a husband. If you teach them that love hurts, that is all they will ever know. That is all they will ever seek out.
Fathers, be good to your daughters early in their life. Hold them when they cry, comfort them when they are unsure, and build up their confidence in themselves. Always tell them they are beautiful, take them out on dates, spend time with them, and show them how you want their husbands to treat them. If you don't hold them and comfort them when they are young, you're teaching them that their emotions don't mean anything. You're teaching them that they don't deserve to be held when they cry, that they have to hide their emotions, keep them all inside, and pretend they do not exist. If you do not tell them they are beautiful, they will grow up believing they are not. If you do not show them how a man should treat them, they will never know. They will look for someone who treats them as you do.
Fathers, teach your daughters about sex and what it is supposed to be like. Teach them that sex is a good and beautiful thing when shared between two people who love each other. Teach them what to look for, and teach them the red flags so they know if they are being abused. Teach them how to stand up for themselves. Teach them that it is okay to say no.
Fathers, teach your sons what it is to be a good man. Teach them how to open doors for women and how to take them on proper dates. Teach them how to compliment their women by complimenting your wives and daughters in front of them. Show your sons what it is like to treat a woman well. Fathers, teach your sons about sex, the impulses of a young man, and how to tell the difference. Teach your young men how to treat a woman and that sex isn't about being rough and abusive. Tell them all the wonderful things sex can accomplish and how it can be a wonderful tool for their marriage.
Parents, please be good to your children because how you treat them and each other is how they will one day treat others, themselves, and their children.
