My Daughter: "Your stories aren't helping me"

My wife seemed upset this morning. She said to me, "Our 17 year old daughter just told me that my stories aren't helping her. I feel upset about this."

I looked at her and said, "You shouldn't feel that way. You are in your late 50s and I'm 65 and the world has completely changed from the one we grew up in. She's right. The world is a completely different place and our stories likely aren't of any use to her in this world."

This seemed to reassure my wife a little. She said, "Our daughter is much harder on you than me. You must have had more time to get used to all this." I nodded.

Of all my biological children and step children and God Daughters my youngest biological daughter is very emotionally tough like I am. She is as ruthless as I am (at least in the way she treats my wife and I).
I could have crushed her emotionally at any point in her upbringing like women were crushed and made to be obedient when I was growing up. But, I want my daughter to be empowered enough to say "No" to anyone she meets including my wife and I for a starter.

So, to raise an empowered woman you have to be careful not to crush their spirits even if it is sometimes hurtful to you and your wife. There are many things I don't agree with with my daughter. There are many things I wish I could teach her that  I cannot because she doesn't believe in God at this point in her life which is pretty much the same point of view of her friends basically as well in her private school.

I look upon this like someone from my era, which is: "There are no atheists in foxholes!"

What does that really mean? It means that people don't believe in God much unless they have no other choice. Unless your back is to the wall and you have nowhere else to turn or go mad from the experiences you are going through, most people never turn to God unless they think they are going to die.

But, people who have somewhere to turn in an emergency (physical or emotional or mental) often survive things other people do not. Unless you are prepared for literally anything in life when something really serious happens you may not survive it. This is my experience.

But, there is also another saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him or her drink."

In other words, people have to find their own ways with or without water (God).

Besides, I remember a time when I felt forsaken by God when I had childhood epilepsy between ages 10 to 15. I couldn't believe God (if he existed) could ever do that to anyone he loved.

However, since then I see those times as just making me serious enough to actually survive my life, get married, raise my kids, and have a good and decent life. Sometimes, near death experiences are the best things that ever happened to us in our lives when seen through this perspective.

I'm sure many men after having gone to war and survived all that realize just how grateful they are to be back living with their families now. It was kind of like that for me too, except the war was inside of me instead of external. So, having survived the internal war that almost killed me twice (once at 2) and once from 10 to 15 it made me a much better man than I would have been otherwise.

Life isn't easy. But it can be amazing!