A Soft Place to Fall

My 23 year-old daughter just met a fellow on an online dating site and they seemed to hit it off right from the start. After a few phone conversations they both agreed that they should meet in person. He had emailed a recent picture of himself to her and she forwarded it to me for my opinion. From what she had told me he seemed like he was goal oriented, and was close to obtaining a degree. It was a nice photo and I very much approved of this clean cut fellow with the enchanting smile. I gave him the thumbs up and started getting excited for her as she planned what she would wear for her first date.

Unfortunately the date was not to be as she called me last night, obviously very upset for having been stood up. I kept making excuses for him saying maybe something came up and he couldn't make it but she said he had his chance and he can go to you know where as far as I am concerned. My heart ached for her as she had really gotten her hopes up that maybe this guy was quality. I guess appearances can be deceiving sometimes.


As far as I am concerned it is that young man's loss because my daughter is not only beautiful physically, she is also an incredible person with a huge heart and wiser than her years. I felt so blessed that she called me when she was down and allowed me to try and console her. We as parents need to make our children aware that they will always have a soft place to fall and it is always safe to tell us anything. If they can get that message they will never feel like they are alone even if the rest of the world has let them down, we will always be there for them.

We all want the best for our children and try to bring them up knowing they are loved and that they are walking perfection in our eyes. We would love to keep them from all of the hurt and disappointment but sadly that is not often possible and they must sometimes experience pain and heartache in order to grow.

Happy Parenting