So, we found out this week the US has decided to air strike Syria. I cannot imagine living in a country being bombed. Furthermore, I can't imagine why we are even there and not worrying about what is going on at home. 

Yesterday, a young identifying as male adult walked into a Nashville school and took the lives of innocent babies and community builders. My 19-year-old son asked me upon hearing of this, "Mom, something has to change. What do you think should be done?" This question has sat with me. Here's my answer and while I am sure it won't be what people want to hear (or read) but it is what I think is needed...

While looking at the person who made these choices to do what they do, we really need to take a look at ourselves- yes, us, the ones raising the young adults in this generation. What have we done to let this generation think this is the way to handle issues? Why did we ever get to a place that our kids think that they are entitled to getting their way and when they don't, they want "justice" or to be "heard"? What have WE done. Growing up we all talk about living in a world where we better have our tails back to the house when the streetlights came on or we had rifle racks in the back windows of our truck and the thought of shooting up the school never even crossed our minds. This country has grown so fast that we can't keep up with what our kids are seeing and doing 24/7. It's impossible and I can bet the farm that no parent knows EVERYTHING. We just don't. Our generation hasn't managed all the changes we have seen very well at all- birth of the internet in every home, cell phones in every teen's hand, 911, conflicts overseas, market crash of 08, birth of social media and everything else. We haven't managed these changes well and thus- we have the issues we do. 

When are we going to slow down and realize that what goes up, must come down? Changes can be great when we take the time to become accustomed to them. But we have seen so many changes, I don't know how anyone is keeping up. We MUST take back control of our youth. We must start instilling the same "fear" that we had for our parents. I'm not saying your children should be fearful that when you walk in the house you will knock their teeth out for no reason. I am talking about the healthy amount of fear that if they screw up, there will be consequences. Our youth needs to learn they won't always get their way or what they want- And it's OKAY. They need to learn that it's ok to fail but it isn't ok to fail and not try again. That nothing in this world is going to be given to them, they MUST work for the things they want. That life isn't always fair, but it's ok that it isn't. ***We are the ones that need to teach them these lessons!***

You know why life is easier on the farm? Because we have to work for everything, including supper. Because we learn that sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to, but we keep moving forward because we have no choice but to. Because we know that every action has a reaction and sometimes that reaction is a bad one, have y'all ever had a heard of very pissed off cows' chase ya because you thought it would be funny to shoot bottle rockets over their heads- trust me when I say, consequences were had. We need to get back to the basics. We grew too fast and didn't manage it well. Let's take it back and try again. Everyone always says, "It's never too late." Let's take a look at ourselves and make the changes we need to make and it will change our youth.

Sorry for the long read- Y'all stay busy
-Dey