The Boy Who Had Everything..

Growing up, there was a young boy in the neighborhood who had everything.

Newest cell phone?

He had it at the age of 10.

He had state of the art video games and the big screen televisions with surround sound to play them on.  

He was the envy of the neighborhood for sure.

One day a child came home from school upset, because this boy had stolen five dollars from him on the school bus.  The mom went directly to the school to report the incident, only to be met a day or two later by a lengthy letter, from the child’s parents stating that their child is incapable of such behavior and she should re-check her facts.  Perhaps she needed to brush up on her parenting skills, since her child had such difficulty with the truth.

This type of behavior continued, and as this boy grew older he started to receive bigger and better gifts; snow boards & ski passes, dirt bikes and other assorted ATV’s.

While the other kids asked their parents for these items, stating, “Well X has these, why can’t I have them too?”

The mom clearly told her child – “Sweetie, I can’t afford these items and your school work is suffering.  Perhaps if you get your grades up, and work for what you want - we can work on getting you one of these items.”

To this, the child replied, “But Mom – X never needs to do anything!  He doesn’t clean his room, he doesn’t cut the lawn, he doesn’t take out the trash and his grades are terrible!”

“Well, that’s a darn shame,” the mom replied, “Last I knew, no one ever died from taking out the trash.  Doing chores helps to build character & teach responsibility.”

Of course her child and the other children in the neighborhood continued to envy everything this young man had.  He did, after all, have it all AND he didn’t have to do anything!

When this young man turned 18, he dropped out of high school.  Shortly after, his parents bought him a new truck.

This young man, while polite – had absolutely no ambition.  No desire to become anything.  No desire to go to school, to get a job – nothing.

Why should he?  He lived in his parents’ home.  They weren’t telling him to leave.  They were providing him with food, shelter a vehicle, a cell phone and even cash when he needed it.

Sure, he had a really great job – for a little while – but why?  Not like he really needed one….and he got fired.  No big deal.

Life moved forward, as it always does…

All of his friends graduated high school.  Some moved on to college, others to work.  The young man continued to live in his parents’ basement.  No drive, no ambition, no purpose.  No one really around to hang out with – so he got new friends.

Shortly thereafter, this young man died, of a heroine overdose – in his parents’ basement.  Drugs ordered on the cell phone his parents gave him.  Drugs bought with the cash he was given, in the car they gave him.

Nope…. Taking out the trash never killed anyone.

Is it possible to be loved to death?

Just something to think about…

Smoochies,

~Jenn