Okay, to give credibility to my blog, I suppose I should tell you a bit about my teen life and some issues I had to deal with, yeah?

I just found out that my favorite younger cousin has sex and gets drunk every weekend. She is 14. I feel old telling her to please be careful, knowing that I never listened to my older cousin when I was 14 and started having sex. Everything I do with this blog is an extension of how I talk about these issues with my younger cousin, in hopes to keep her safe and happy and successful in her life.

Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, we thought that not a lot happened. Too bad one night a girl everyone loved in our school was drinking and driving. She got in a car accident and ended up paralyzed from the waist down. Our school building was old and not very handicap-accessible. The building had to undergo a lot of updates to accommodate this student when she returned to school after physical therapy. I was a Sophomore.

When I was a senior, two boys who were in the class under me were involved in a drinking and driving car accident. The car they were driving was split in half after it had hit a telephone poll going speeds of over 80 MPH. They died instantly.

From the time I was 14 to the time I was 22, I dated 3 controlling and violent boys. It took one of them trying to kill me and my friends one night to realize that the only way to keep myself safe was to get a restraining order on this guy, and never put up with that shit again. I am now in a fun, loving and respectful relationship with a great guy who treats me well. Trust me ladies, you don’t need to go through hell just to have a boyfriend.

I’ve also had an abortion. Not ashamed of it at all - in fact I hold that as the absolute best decision I have ever made. Knowing that I am strong enough to go through that situation calmly and efficiently gave me the strength to do so many other things. I can handle a lot more than I once thought, and although it is a major decision, I am severely pro-choice. If you are pregnant and don’t want to be, there are places where you can go to get help. Planned Parenthood is one of them. They are amazing.

I have never had a serious alcohol or drug abuse problem myself, but I know people who have. I have always been them to walk my friends through their struggles when they arise, and I am the first to support their decision to get clean.

So, I think that about does it. I think any of these experiences makes me a more reliable sounding board than other people - or parents - so feel free to send over your questions! I’m open