WHAT GOES WRONG

I will admit my guilty pleasure is the occassional Entertainment Tonight, Regis and Kelly or TMZ, whenever I can take a few minutes to sit down and relax. Recently I caught an interview with Michael Douglas talking about his 30 year old son who just received a sentence of 5 years in prison for drug dealing some heavy duty drugs. Michael Douglas blamed the media (of course) for screwing up his kid, but he also blamed himself. He talked about not being there for him, not recognizing the signs of addiction and not getting help soon enough. Of course, all in hindsight, but probably very true. Having children is a wonderful thing, but it is a lifelong job. Yes, it is the best job most of us will ever have, but maybe it is not for everyone. We talk about the social pressures to go to university, get married and of course, have children. We all do it. When are you going to have a baby? Those who don't have children are often seen as selfish, uncaring and not responsible. I think it is just the opposite making a decision to not have children is probably the most responsible decision some people will make. This may seem ironic from a person who holds an event called "We Love Our Children", but it is because I love children so much that I think we must look long and hard about the decision to have children. I have placed my family first. I have made a commitment to ensure the skills that my great parents gave me are used in my daily life. This can't prevent heartache, mistakes, or tragedy, but the commitment you make to be there for them creates a higher percentage of a success rate. I would bet that in the first five years of Michael Douglas son's life, his parents imagined great things for their child, somewhere along the way he got lost, divorce, celebrity, absentee parenting. We are responsible to our families, communities and countries to put family first, to create responsible, educated and loving citizens and a caring world is much needed right now.