Young Parents: We Are Counting On You

Judge Judy! What can I say? Gotta love her. She has a rough edge, buy that probably comes with the territory. I bet she's heard more lies in that courtroom than all of us have collectively heard....well, maybe.

I have heard her make a judgement without one of the parties ever opening their mouth. She seems to jump to conclusions, but she generally is right in the end. I've seen her change her mind AFTER she's made a declaration. That's always interesting because she doesn't do that often. Wouldn't you like to have her bailiff, Burt always standing by you...just in case? We all need a Burt. She says things we'd all like to say, but are too afraid of a lawsuit to say it. She doesn't have that problem.

If the subject matter is not "too" adult, I have my grandchildren watch the show with me. It is a great question starter type program. Most problems can be traced directly back to one thing. I would say that almost 100% of the problems we have could be traced back to one of three things: pride, greed (which is a companion of pride) and selfishness. I'd say pride would be #1, because greed and selfishness are offshoots of pride.

Grandchildren and I try to guess who's going to win...and we are sometimes right but mostly wrong. Sometimes JJ throws a monkey wrench in our reasoning. She is a "no bull" kind of lady...just the facts kind of gal...skip the schmooze and get to the point kind of woman. (Remember she has to try two cases in 30 minutes!)

Dr. Laura affects me the same way. What I find VERY interesting is how much of the advice given by both these women is very old fashioned. The younger you are, the more their advice grates on your nerves. What they say would not have been given a second thought 30 or 40 years ago. Dr. John Rosemond is another example. All three of these individuals say pretty much the same thing...except Dr. Laura thinks more along the lines of "your children come first in every way" and Rosemond thinks the parents' relationship is the most important relationship in the family. But all three agree that good common sense is the best cure for most of life's problems. And that, my friends, is something we seem to have lost! Good ole common sense! We live in a politically correct society....no common sense found here.

You help someone by performing the Heimlich maneuver and accidentally break a rib and you are sued. A burglar breaks into your home and in the process is hurt and you can be footing his medical bill. A child misbehaves and somehow it is every adult's fault that is within 20 feet of the little mayhem causer...certainly NOT the child's fault. Children refuse to study or learn what is being taught, and it's the teacher's fault...not the budding Einstein's. Go figure!

I truly believe that it is the generation of you who are 25 to 40 years of age that is going to finally either " get it together" and save us from ourselves or bring us totally down. You, young moms and dads need to realize what the big picture is looking like..."it ain't pretty." If you don't rise up and use common sense and put pride, greed and selfishness back in their place, your children don't stand a chance. Our generation hasn't done such a great job...since the 1960's we have pretty much thrown much of what our parents gave us down the drain. It's up to you to realize what your children and you will soon be facing.

Lest I sound like a prophet of doom (and gloom), I'd like to say that my heart goes out to you young parents, but my feeling sorry for what you face doesn't make things better. Many of my generation HAVE tried to stand for what is right...we've been shot down, mangled with gossip, told to shut up and generally laughed out by those whose whole life is riddled with the three big ones: pride, greed and selfishness. What you are going to wake up and realize one day is that the "old ways" in many ways WERE better...living "right", working hard, going to church, not talking like your mouth is filled with sewer water, wearing your clothes in a modest and becoming way, teaching your children to be honest and trustworthy...hey, they may stray...but you keep praying, many will get back on track, pointing them toward a mighty and faithful God. These are the things that made America great.

This is my prayer for you. As grandparents, we can stand by and do everything in our power to support and cheer you on, but YOU ARE THE GENERATION TO TURN IT AROUND! Without your efforts, America's bright shining light will grow more dim with each generation. I pray that you will shelve the idea that you MUST have the best car, the prettiest granite counter tops, the most up to date purses, the biggest house on the block and instead, look into the eyes of those little people you put to sleep every night and remember, they are depending on you (and so are those of us who have fought the fight for so many years.) Get it right.