Choices

My partner's son is back from university. So glad to have him home. I have really missed him. He has had a very interesting year year away from home. When you are in another city living amongst people your own age, you are presented with many choices and decisions.

Over dinner we were talking about a broad variety of things, including the choices we make throughout our lives. It occurred to me that the young really have no concept at all of how the choices they make in the present can really impact their lives much later. I knew that many kids have the "it will never happen to me" perspective. I had it too in my teens and early 20s.

I had no idea that smoking while my breasts were forming would increase my chances of breast cancer. Statistics and research are now saying it could increase a women's chances by as much at 70%. If I had heard that at 16 - I often wonder if it may have changed my destiny?

Although there is significant benefits to living life in the present, we some how have to instill the knowledge that some things that can appear harmless, have far reaching consequences. If anyone has figured out how to get a teen to listen - I would love to hear from you - or maybe we just keep talking and hope that something sticks.