Putting Her in God's Hands

My eldest had a friend who was supposed to come over on New Year’s Eve.  He never showed up.  She found out yesterday morning that this was because he had been arrested for drunk driving and was in jail.

Sigh.

It’s not like I didn’t know that kids drink.  It’s not even like I didn’t know that my daughter has friends who drink (they know she doesn’t and make a point of not even inviting her to activities where there will be alcohol). 

I think what disturbs me to my core about this is that the boy was very possibly on his way to our house when he was stopped.  And that he was so sure he was sober enough to drive.  And that he could possibly have invited my daughter to go with him somewhere that night after he arrived.  And that he could have crashed the car . . . and killed someone . . . another driver . . . himself . . . or my daughter.

I also wonder if there were adults at the party where he got the alcohol – adults who knew that there were kids drinking.  I know there are parents out there who don’t try to stop their children’s alcohol consumption.  They even buy it for them.  They argue that the kids are going to drink anyway – better that they do it at home where the parents can keep an eye on them and see that they’re safe.  Except that doesn’t always work.

I don’t drink, really.  I sip at wine once in a while.  I’ve never had enough alcohol to even get a buzz.  This is probably why I don’t understand why so many people think fun evenings must include a beer in their hands or they're not really fun.  When you look at the dangers involved in over-indulging – and the tendency so many people have to over-indulge – I’ve never understood the appeal. 

Luckily, both of my daughters feel the same way.  I just hope they always do.  Now, if I could just ensure that everyone who drives them anywhere agrees.  And everyone else driving on the road around them . . .

Sigh.