Voice of a Child

 It's approaching fall and County Fair time in my neck of the woods. Nothing like the sounds of  laughter and screams coming from the brave riders spun in circles in the air. The smells of popcorn, caramel apples, funnel cakes...... this in one of my favorite times of the year.  A scene in Sketches of My Soul developed from the memories I have of the Fair. However,  Tegan's experiences are relayed through a child of a parent who abuses alcohol. I created Tegan to give a voice to those children.

  Children with alcoholic parents share common traits and behaviors. One being an overdeveloped sense of responsibility for the parent and as well as others.  The excerpt above gives a glimpse inside the head of a teen who wars with that responsibility of staying home with her drunk father or going out with friends.

This is a subject dear to my heart and one that I want to raise awareness of. The NACOA has resources for children of all age groups who have a parent who drinks too much. It stresses to the children that it is not their fault and they aren't alone. Here is the link to the part of their website that specifically focuses on Teens of alcoholics. If you know someone who could use the support or you need it yourself,  I hope you check it out and find it valuable.

*Let's not forget the people of Houston, Texas and keep them in our prayers.*

Big Hair and Bullies

    I rocked big hair, spandex, and leg warmers in high school. Did I mention I mastered the Rubik's Cube?(not really, I wish).  Michael Jackson was Bad, Madonna was a Virgin, and Bon Jovi was Livin' on a Prayer when I was a teenager.

Much has changed since I was a starry eyed teenager, but something unfortunately that remains a constant to the adolescent is bullying in one form or another.  You remember, I know you do. The girls that would spread rumors about you, leave you out, talk about your clothes, call you names, and so on.

  Today the rumors and nasty comments meant to humiliate you can be posted online for all to see.  Both boys and girls experience bullying.  There are differences in the way they're bullied, but the outcome is the same...it hurts.

Here are some facts:

• Boys are more likely to be bullied physically, but girls are more likely to be bullied by rumors or being left out.
• Girls bully to feel a sense of importance and control.
• Boys usually get bullied by other boys, whereas girls tend to get bullied by both boys and girls.
• Girls experience bullying on school property more often than boys.

The good news? Today we are more aware of the seriousness of bullying than we were in the past. A good resource for parents and teens is girlshealth.gov.  What are your experiences with bullying? Do you have any advice?

I'll end with a quote from Taylor Swift.

Seventeen Magazine photo by Elizabeth Denton



You're not alone. Tell someone and seek support.......Teens Against Bullying.