Perpetual Sanctification (part 1)

Did you ever have one of those weeks that you thought you just might not survive? I mean emotionally, not physically, although, sometimes emotional stress is worse than the most strenuous physical workout. Well that’s the kind of week I had.

It not only left me battered and bruised, but it had me questioning every decision I have ever made as a wife, mother and friend. I would no sooner think I was on solid ground and the rug would be pulled out again!

In those times, although, not much fun, much growth can occur. I found myself swept away in a currant that had been building for quite some time.

You see, I do periodic phone checks on my children’s phones. I know some of you will agree with me and some of you will adamantly oppose [as an invasion of privacy] and others will be somewhere in the middle. Whatever your stance, this post might just having you thanking God that this is practiced in your home or have you rethinking the whole privacy thing.

It was a night like any other night, and I picked up my daughter's phone, and noticed a tweet alert. Initially, I looked at it because she is in the middle of a Jr/Sr game that is like a rite of passage in our district, so I thought it might be important. As I scrolled thru her feed, I noticed some inappropriate language being tweeted and made a mental note to talk to her about it. It’s not that I don’t understand this is what kids do today, because it’s what we used to do in our day, but I feel that if I don’t comment on it, she will think it acceptable and it is not. Not now and not then!!!

Then the shock came, a video feed, what is that, I took a closer look. No it couldn’t be, yes it is!! It’s a porn video on my sixteen year old daughter’s phone!!!!

The expletives that ran through my mind would have the most hard-core truck driver blushing! Of course, as fate would have it, my husband is not home. He is having dinner with the Bishop, as this night is our 8th grade Confirmation, and he is the CCD administrator at our Parish. Yes, yes, I thought long and hard about the irony of that!

Armed with the phone in hand, I went into my daughter’s room to ask her about it. Her reaction shocked me, as she thought it was not big deal and this stuff happens every day. Of course that is not flying with me and now I am really concerned, I could not understand her cavalier attitude. So when I really got angry she explained: “Mom” she said, “This stuff happens all the time, you just scroll through it. I don’t watch it, and it’s not mine.” So I did what anyone would do, I yelled, “Do you think I was born yesterday? If it’s not yours, why do you have it on your phone?” She replied so calmly that I really wanted to throttle her, by saying, “Because I cannot delete it, it just appears, I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s not mine and I don’t watch it.”

Unfortunately, I do not believe her. As I know teenagers lie, we all have lied when caught doing something we shouldn’t be doing. So, she lost her phone privileges and perhaps would not be able to participate in the game.

When my husband came home, the whole above scene was repeated!

What was happening? We raised her better than this! We attend Mass weekly, receive the Sacraments frequently, and pray at home. What the heck is going on!!! Does she not know; this is not ok? Why is she not more concerned?

As I tried to sleep that night, my thoughts vacillated between; I somehow failed her and do I have bigger problems on my hands?

Join me by reading my next post to see how the story unfolds. It might just shock you.

® 2015 voted-off-the-island.com. All rights reserved