A LETTER TO MY DAUGHTERS: WHY YOU’LL ALWAYS BE THE BEST PART OF ME.

I still remember the first time I held each one of you in my arms. I looked at you with amazement and knew that I would do everything in my power to love and protect you, but most importantly to raise you with the understanding of your true potential. It is because I love each of you so much that I want the very best for you. You are and always will be my little girls!

I heard about the recent performances by Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga at the VMA’s. Knowing that MTV targets you as their primary demographic, I decided to watch their performances and get a better understanding of what exactly it is that they are trying to sale. Needless to say, as a father I was completely disgusted and outraged, not only at the performances but at the unbridled willingness of MTV to exploit these women in nothing more than a blatant attempt to sale you this crap. They know that the programs they air are highly provocative and that, at your age, you are highly susceptible to those messages. They also know that they can influence and effect your-self image, and somehow convince you that Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga are somehow role models that you should look up to. Understand that to them you are nothing more than a potential target. They want you to watch their shows. If you’re not, they are going to try to figure out a way to compel you to watch. That’s as far as their interest in you goes.

Make no mistake about it, these women are not role models. In fact they are everything that you should avoid becoming. They do not care about you other than if you choose to follow them on Facebook or Tweeter, and hopefully convince you to buy the garbage that they are peddling. YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS! Don’t let some woman that is willing to compromise herself simply for publicity, convince you that looking and acting like trash is the way to gain self-respect and love. It is a long and lonely road for anyone who loses sight of who they are, and who they can be for a fleeting moment of supposed public affection. What they fail to recognize is that they are looked at as nothing more than a circus animal, prancing around and vying for the attention of the people in the audience. Those people only care as long as they are entertained. Once that stops they move on to the next circus act that will hold their attention until they get bored again and have to move on to something new and more outrageous.  These women are not envied, they are objects that will be discarded when something new comes along that is shinier. They have been convinced by the people that make money off of them, and by society in general that they must do this to stay relevant. Relevance never comes through sexual exploitation and grinding on some guy for the whole world to see. Relevance comes through our acts of kindness and service to others, creating meaningful lives and careers that make a positive difference in the world, instilling in your own children values and standards that will help them recognize who they truly are, and living a life dedicated to a higher purpose and power.  

I love you girls with all that I am. I love you enough to tell you, “no”. I love you enough to be involved in your lives and give you guidance and counsel so that you can understand your true value, your truth worth and your true potential. Know that I love you  enough to tell you to, “turn that crap off’, and demand you tell me “where you are going", and"  what time you’ll be home”. I'll continue to demand to know your friends, and ground you when its needed. I do that because I love you and you are and always will be the best part of me.