Something to Chew On. But Please Digest.

God, the supreme chromosome-ologist, DNA decider, gives every family exactly the gender of children He wants that family to rear.
Boss-man and I have daughters.

I was watching TV today when an interesting exchange happened between two characters:
Dad: Have you seen my daughter? I don’t like the idea of her running off with Danny [for a hike in the hills] just like that.
Local man: She is 16, don’t you think you’re being a bit over protective
Dad: (indignantly) I don’t remember askin’ for advice.
Local man: Just tryin’ to be friendly.
Disrobing of parental authority, friendly?!
Come on, you say, it’s just a Hollywood script.
Maybe, but we’ve all taken the bait. This is our response to the real people, not actors, in our community.

Several weeks ago, in bedtime routine, my oldest daughter, putting her toothbrush away, says “Mom? Do ya think I can get married at sixteen?”
(choke,sputter)“I can’t talk about that right now. It’s late. Let’s just get ready for bed.”

The surprise I took was not at any absurdity in her question; rather the grief I imagine daddy and I will endure from not so well-meaning, not so astute people, should she have been making, that night in the bathroom, a prophetic statement.

The same people that speak of parents being “over protective” regarding children are the same people who have the proverbial cow that a sixteen year old is too young to marry: then protection is lacking.

You see, it’s okay for daughters to run around without parental protection, unsupervised and un-chaperoned. That’s trust! And we must trust our children! Particularly the 16 and over crowd. Daughters, especially the responsible ones, should be able to make their own decisions with, perhaps, parental input, but essentially, it must be of her own plan. She has to learn to make these decisions and live with the outcome, right?

But should she decide, that at 16, instead of tramping around with boys her own age, that are looking for a little slap and tickle (oh, and relationship too, I’m sure), she, with her parents guidance and blessing, should consent to a marriage with a respectable, hard working, taxpaying, dependable, godly young man, where she sleeps in the safety of one man’s bed, without guilt: That’s just plain foolish.

Uh, huh.