When I was 16, I fell in love with a guy named Rick. He did drugs, and he introduced them to me. Together, we both enjoyed using drugs recreationally. I told myself that it was just a thing we did every now and then to take the edge off from all the crap at school, but it got a lot harder than that. It turned out this “recreational drug” was simply a gateway drug to much harder & illegal things.
I didn’t think it was a big issue at the time, and all I know is that I loved him with all my heart. I thought he loved me as much as I did, too.
Anyway, I was very close to my dad, but because I was head over heels in love with my boyfriend Rick, I didn’t really know what was best for myself and often relied on my dad for his instincts.
One day, my dad (probably sensing that the both of us were headed down a dark path) told me to call Rick over for dinner. He joined us. When my mom and I went into the kitchen to get some drinks, my dad apparently turned to him and gave him an envelope. He told Rick, “Take this money and leave. Never come back and don’t speak to my daughter ever again. Go. Now.”
Rick, to my surprise, actually took the money and left. It occurred to me to question what would have happened if a stranger offered him some money in exchange for me. The thought left me terrified.
At the time, my dad didn’t say a word to me and simply left the dinner table to be alone. My mom told me later that he didn’t sleep for an entire week. All I could think about was how horribly stupid I must have been, and how my dad’s instincts were completely right. He was looking out for me, and he proved Rick to be not what I thought he was.
From that day forward, I haven’t touched a single drug (unless it was directly prescribed by a doctor for an illness) and I’m now 32 years old. I’m living happily with my husband of eight years, and together we have a three-year-old son.
I’d like to thank my dad for always being there for me, and for showing me the right path without shaming me for my mistakes. Oh and by the way, when I asked my dad how much money he’d given Rick, my dad simply laughed and told me it was a couple of 10 dollar notes wrapped around some monopoly money.
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