​Dear mom and dad,

I'm emotional these days.  I try not to be, but I can't help it.

It just seems like nothing is working right in my life.

When the frustrations are too intense, I have melt downs.  I don't mean to disrespect you or dishonor you.  I'm not even thinking about that.  I'm just hurting and don't know what to do.

What I need most from you is love and support to help me regroup.

Please be gentle. An angry tone of voice only makes me feel more stressed.

A calm response is the quickest way to help me calm down. When I'm calm, I can listen to your advice. 

That's what I want more than anything. I want to feel  you love and support me, even when I've made bad decisions and my life is crazy. And I want you to know that I love you, even when I have a hard time showing it.

Dads are important. They guide us in ways that only dads can. 

Who else would challenge us to try things that are beyond our comfort zone?
      Let go of our bikes after taking off the training wheels ?
      Throw us in the pond to teach us to swim?
      Give us chores to teach us responsibility?

Dads push us harder than we think we can handle.
They play with us until we burst with laughter.
They support and protect us when we need it.

Research says that having an involved, loving dad makes us more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem and show more empathy. 

Our hearts say that we feel good having a dad that loves and believes in us.

For all of the dads out there who have taken time to guide and love us, paced the hallway with worry, acted crazy to entertain, waited up to make sure we're safe, and tried to give us the best advice they could, we say thank you.

You are truly loved and appreciated.

"What have I done to deserve this?"

That's what I asked as I let hot water pour over me, hoping it would wash away all of the ugly memories.  Life was hard this week, filled with insults and disappointments.

I fought to keep the hurt hidden, but it kept pushing its way back into my thoughts.

"No one likes you," it whispered. 

My heart wanted to agree, but a picture of someone hugging me this week flashed through my mind. "We love you," she had said.

"People think you're not good enough," it reminded me.

"I'm not," I thought, until I remembered a coworker saying how talented I was.

"No one wants to spend time with you," it continued.

The tears began to flow, even as I recalled my friend begging me with the words, "You're coming, right? Please come!"

Emotions washed over me as quickly as the water, flowing and changing with each thought. For every negative memory there was a positive one, streaming gently through my mind, soothing the hurt.

It had been a hard week. But tucked within the hard stuff had been nuggets of goodness, which would have made my heart sing, if I had focused in on them.

I let the water rush over my face, thankful for its cleansing touch, and praying for a cleansing of my mind, as well.

"Give me the ability to focus on the good in my life and the ability to put everything else into its proper perspective," I prayed, "and let my teen friends be able to do the same."

          Please let them be able to do the same.

Summer is just around the corner for many of you, or it has already begun!

Without the strict schedule of school from morning to evening, and the random assortment of sport practices, band practices, church gatherings, etc., your schedule may be looking pretty slim. It would be too easy to just sit back and relax for the rest of the summer with no worries. If your plate is looking pretty empty, take time to relax and enjoy, but stay active.

The worst thing you can do is NOTHING.

Which sounds great at first, but after a few days, weeks, you will start to feel the summer funk. Which includes and is not limited to restlessness, sleeplessness, sadness, and loneliness. I have been there, trust me, it is not a fun place to be.

So here are some tips to stay away from the summer funk: ​

1. GET INVOLVED. It could be with a sports club, volunteering, or something similar. Do something you love to do that will get you out of the house and enjoying your summer days with friends. 

2. RELAX. Of course find time to relax. ​