lauraannturmel

Today, I was given McKayla’s death certificate. A piece of paper confirming that my beautiful granddaughter lived, and that her life is over. I looked at it and thought about how many certificates and pieces of paper we collect throughout a lifetime. They record our beginnings. Our accomplishments. Our independence. Our love. Our families. Our future. McKayla's life began with a birth certificate. Then came the little certificates, the ones that may not seem important until you realize they...

Some parents believe children are too young to learn about drugs. They believe avoiding the conversation is protecting them. It isn’t. Silence does not stop children from seeing a vape that smells sweet, a gummy that looks like candy or a pill offered by someone they trust. Silence only means they may face that moment without knowing the truth. The world our children are growing up in is not the world we grew up in. Drugs are changing rapidly, and they are reaching children at younger ages....

SCARE THEM WITH THE TRUTH— BEFORE DRUGS BECOME THEIR REALITY. Some people will not agree with what I am about to say. That is okay. Parents, scare your children with the truth about drugs. Tell them what addiction really looks like. Tell them that the first pill may not look dangerous. Tell them that the first person offering it may call themselves a friend. Tell them that drugs can lie to their brain, take control of their body and make stopping feel impossible. Tell them about the children...