Dear Pastor,
I am an 18-year-old girl who is just having problems with my family. They insist on controlling everything in my life and won't let me make my own choices. At times they sound like a swarm of bees in my ears and I am really tired of it. I am not saying that I am not open to suggestions, but they want me to do what they weren't able to do with their lives.
What can I do to let them know that I can make my own choices and I would like to do so? Pastor, I also do not share their interests.
K., St Andrew, Jamaica
Dear K.,
I wish you had said more. I mean, I wish you had given specific examples. Anyway, at 18 you should make your own decisions but be open to guidance. Your older relatives have more experience than you, so you should bear that in mind. On the other hand, some senior relatives fail to understand that young people should be allowed to make their own mistakes because that is one of the ways that they will learn to be much more careful in the future.
I hope you do not think that your relatives hate you because they are trying to help you do what they believe is right. Always remember that teenagers have struggles with adults, from time to time, but often look back when they are older and thank their seniors for giving them proper guidance.
Pastor
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