BFF!!!

Ok. I am stepping on my soapbox and I'll be off in a minute. I was watching news this morning and heard that there are public schools beginning to enforce a new rule: Students are not allowed to have a best friend. I know what you are thinking, this is a joke. Well, I thought the same thing and then they begin to talk to Psychiatrists and parents and it became very apparent that this is for real. Schools are being told by the government that this could be a very helpful rule to enforce. The reason for this rule is that they feel that this would help kids not feel hurt, loss, peer pressure, etc. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? So now schools are deciding whether students can have friends or not and maybe they can save them from ever having to deal with pain. So, when they become an adult and pain comes(because IT WILL), they will have no idea how to handle it or walk through it. It seems to me that there are many other things that schools could be enforcing rather than who you are best friends with. It almost seems unreal to hear news like this. God tells us all through scripture that we will walk through pain and trouble. I looked back and thought about the best friends I had. There were some that brought some pain and there were others that helped me all through school. I had an amazing best friend, Sara, who not only brought me to her church, which changed my life, but also walked through some pretty rough stuff with me. We had a blast when we were together and I loved every minute I spent with her. I could not have imagined dealing with high school without her by my side. So, I guess my biggest issue is that it seems more and more that the government is mandating rules that continue to regulate our freedom. Having a best friend seems really small compared to the disrespect that many teachers have to deal with everyday in their classrooms. Why don't we deal with that instead of whether students have a best friend or not?

Ok, I'm stepping off that soapbox and I hope that this rule is stopped before it starts. I pray everyday for the friends Katelyn and Samuel will have one day. I pray that they will encourage them to walk closely to Jesus and that they will have a blast growing up together. I will be that parent who is careful to MONITOR their friendships and lay a foundation of choosing friends wisely. And if they ever get hurt or go through the loss of a friend, we will hug, talk, pray, and walk through that pain together. They will see that pain comes and pain goes. It is life! But thank God they have a heavenly Father who walks closely by their side through it all!!!