Are your teenagers lying to you?

Today I am switching from cancer for a day. I want to cover something that left me shattered. When my oldest daughter turned 19, she shattered my world. She would tell me she was hanging out with friends from work and would be home at a certain hour. But instead, she was going to parties and drinking alcohol. God would burden me over and over again. She wouldn't show up at the hour she said - nor would she call. She would show up the next morning.

Other times she would say she was staying at a friend's house but she wasn't. She was out partying. This all broke my heart.

One night I just knew my car would not be where she said it would be. She told me she parked it in a parking lot and was riding with friends. She was the friend everyone else was riding with. At midnight I took my younger daughter and drove down to look for the car which wasn't where it was supposed to be. She didn't show up until the next morning.

Next thing I know she started missing work and her work would call to see if she was sick. Not once did I stick up for her. She lost job after job.

But I never lost hope. At 19 I could not control her, but I could take the car away. Once she got her own car, it got worse.

She told me even when I didn't love what she was doing, please always love her unconditionally. That does work, but is not easy on a Mom.

I am happy to report that today she has worked a good job for 2 years and finally earned a two week vacation. She has straightened out and is living her life in a way that makes me proud.

As storms are approaching my area, I thought I better write this to post before I couldn't. So everyone take care.

When teenagers put parents in a place where they don't know where to turn, find a support group. I found a group of women on the Internet who have walked the road I have walked and they are still my friends after 5 years. Now I am a support group for others when I find them needing help.