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Weeding Not Just For
Gardens
Like many other people, I have spent a lot of time lately pulling weeds. It is that time of the year when we really start to get concerned about what our yards look like, or more importantly, about what our neighbors might think about our yards. As I began the exciting process of pulling weeds, I began to see just how much they can hide the real beauty of the many flowers and plants that are hidden behind them. The more that I can keep the weeds away, the better chance the plants have to sparkle in their intended beauty.
Just as those plants are subjected to the constant threat of weeds taking them over, it appears to me that our kids really face the same threats. But, in the case of our children the weeds can have a much more serious result. The weeds of drug abuse, alcohol, molestation, peer pressure and many others are all trying to develop a root system in our children’s garden of adolescence. Just as it is imperative that we pull the wild onions away from the roses in our yards, it is even more important that we pull these invading weeds away from the lives of our kids. The weeds that prey on our kids are not always as obvious as the weeds that come to our gardens. They can appear to be very harmless, such as a friend, a coach, a relative and in some cases even a parent. These weeds cozy up to our kids in a manner that causes some kids to believe that they could never be harmful. Some of the weeds even offer incentives that might make our kids think that it is a positive force that is taking them over. In some cases, by the time that we, as parents, deal with the weeds, our children’s garden is overgrown and is smothering their attempts to grow.
Just as we have pesticides that will rid our gardens from weeds, we are fortunate to have the same retaliatory remedies to take care of our kids problems. These sprays and treatments are found very easily and are bottled in a container labeled “parent.” As parents, we must maintain our children’s garden on a daily basis. We must not wait until their garden is so full of weeds that we can barely recognize them. Monitoring their activities, their friends, their extra curricular contacts, what they are watching on television, what they are doing on their computers, and etc., are all excellent means of applying a preventive herbicide that will prevent such damaging weeds from entering your child’s life. You might be surprised how easily it is to spot the troublesome weeds simply by having a conversation with your child. These youthful flowers will open up to you like a rosebud to the sun if they think that you really care. And just as the angle of the sun is important to an emerging plant, the angle of your conversations needs to be considered. While it is tough for us, as parents to do, the correct angle might be one of listening rather than talking. There is an old saying that says something to the effect of “if your mouth is open, your ears are most often closed.”
No one ever claimed that it is easy to maintain a lawn or a garden that you can be proud of. But, by taking daily care of it, the results can be a spectacular thing of beauty and color. Every garden and every child have potential. It’s just that they are sometimes hidden behind some very unsightly weeds.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
SHall BadgeNotes@aol.com
051505
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