Dear Children,
It’s not easy telling you no. I always want to say yes. I want to give you everything your heart desires. I want to hand you the moon and sprinkle it with stars. I want to make all of your dreams come true and let you do whatever you want to do and go wherever you want to go. But I can’t, and there’s a very good reason why…
I can’t because I love you.
I’m sure that seems counterintuitive to you. No doubt you think, because I love you, I should allow you to do as you please, have what you want, and make your own terrible decisions. Believe me, that time will come. You will have many, many years to do exactly those things. But for now, it is my job to set boundaries, make rules, set standards, and render consequences. Why? Because it’s how you will learn to set boundaries, make rules, set standards, and understand consequences. Not to mention the fact that you will always have to bend to a higher authority.
There are certain things that you need to understand. The world is not like home. There will not always be someone there to pick you up when you fall. There will not always be a soft place to lay your head, a warm meal placed in front of you, a closet of clothes, or a day without responsibility. There will not always be someone there to tell you the difference between right and wrong.
As you grow, there will be thousands of decisions you will need to make in your life. It’s my job to make sure you have the right tools, and the right morals, to make the right choices. I must set a good example (and sometimes, I fail), and I must teach you why something is right. Nobody else will take the time to teach you what is right, but everybody will be happy to tell you when you’ve done something wrong.
Or not.
There will be those who will encourage you to go against all that you’ve been taught. There will be people who will want you to take that drink, take that smoke, go into that room, and any countless number of things you know you should not do. It will be in those moments when you will need to remember all the times I told you no, all the reasons why I told you no, and all the lessons I tried to teach you. Those will be the times when your morals are questioned, your resolve is tested, and your true character is revealed.
So, do not ask me again why I tell you no. Do not question why I’m not the mom who shrugs and says yes to everything. I know you still will not understand. It will take years for you to comprehend why I am being so mean, not letting you spread your wings, and not letting you make your own decisions and your own rules. I know you will be angry. I know you will say, “everyone is doing it,” or “you can trust me.” I also know that it’s that way of thinking can lead to disastrous consequences.
And I know that someday, you will thank me.
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Amy Schisler is an award-winning author of both children’s books and sweet, faith-filled romance novels for readers of all ages. She lives with her husband and three daughters on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Her books, Picture Me, Whispering Vines, and Island of Miracles are all recipients of Illumination Awards, placing them among the top inspirational fiction books of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Whispering Vines was awarded the 2017 LYRA Award for the best romance of 2016. Island of Miracles has outsold all of Amy’s other books worldwide and ranked as high as 600 on Amazon. Her follow up, Island of Promise is a reader favorite. Amy’s children’s book is The Greatest Gift. The suspense novel, Summer’s Squall, and all of Amy’s books, can be found online and in stores. Her latest novel, Island of Promise, was recently awarded First Prize by the Oklahoma Romance Writer’s Association as the best Inspirational Romance of 2018 and was awarded a Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2019 for Inspirational Fiction. It is the 2019 winner for Best Inspirational Fiction in the RWA Golden Quill Contest and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award of Fiction.
Amy’s latest book, The Devil’s Fortune, is based, in part, on her family history and is garnering many five star reviews.
Book Three of the Chincoteague Island Trilogy, Island of Hope, will be released in August of 2019. Order your copy today!
You may follow Amy on Facebook at http://facebook.com/amyschislerauthor, Twitter @AmySchislerAuth, Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/amyschisler and at http://amyschislerauthor.com.
Amy’s books: Crabbing With Granddad (2013), A Place to Call Home (2014), Picture Me (2015), Whispering Vines (2016), Island of Miracles (2017), Stations of the Cross Meditations for Moms (2017), The Greatest Gift (2017), Summer’s Squall (2017), Island of Promise (2018).
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