Love Means Everything

Not romantic love cause that's just corny.  I'm talking about genuine care for another person regardless of anything.  Whether it's family or friends, love can make a difference in a person's life.  When someone cares about you and loves you it's a feeling that's just not expendable.  Neither success nor money can ever be replaced by love from another person.  Children need love the most to develop into healthy young adults.  Children need two loving adults in their life that can provide for their emotional needs.  Having two active adults will give children the opportunity to build trust and communication.  These are traits that are necessary outside of the family circle.  But what happens when only one adult is present?  Is it possible for the child to get attention?  Every situation must be taken individually but if one adult is able to provide then it might be possible.  What if that one adult is too busy?  Then what happens?  As the child emotionally grows up they begin to wonder and analyze why their parents weren't around.  The most common thought is, 'it had to be my fault.'  Fast forward to their teenage years and things begin to get messy.  Communication between the teenager and both parents are badly broken and trust hasn't been built.  As an effect, the teen often lives a double life.  There's the life the parent sees and the hidden life they keep.  Since their emotional needs were not met, a big gap was made, keeping them from connecting with their family.  Teens use other substances to fill the gap, although not always healthy they had to get it from somewhere.  Not all teens abuse substances, some end up with other mental problems that are equally self-destructive.  At the same time, the teen craves attention from an adult.  The only place teens are at for a portion of their lives are at school, thus making them rely on teachers.  Some teens are loud and disruptive, requiring a great amount of attention by the teacher.  Then there are other teens who are just too shy and quiet to speak up that they try their hardest to impress the teacher, just so they could notice them.  Remember those self-destructive behaviors?  Yeah, they're getting worse because home life is twice as stressful as it was before.  Being a teenager you now have a voice and an opinion, creating conflicts between you and the parent.  The communication barrier is getting worse and the relationship is drifting away.  Now comes the side effects: addiction, depression, and low self esteem.  How could have this been reversed?  If only they had the emotional support when they were younger... The teachers they wanted attention from can only provide so much.  For some teens, school is the only place to feel valued and cared for.  It's the one place they think they have some self-worth.  Love can make a big difference in someone's life, without it a person will become bitter and spiteful.  This earth just needs more love.