Even though she has been attending high school for less than two months, my daughter has already been exposed to marijuana use.  When I say "exposed," that doesn't really explain what has happened.  I admit, knowing my daughter has ADD, and knowing what I already do about being a teenager, I was worried.  But I couldn't have expected what actually happened.

My daughter is very proud of the fact that she is "above the influence."  I thank her elementary school for instilling that in her (and hope that I have contributed positively, as well).  The problem came when her best friends started "experimenting" with pot during the first few weeks of school.  How did this happen so soon?  I wondered the same thing. 

It seems that someone's older brother and his friends who are seniors are the "really cool guys" responsible.  Initially, when my daughter found out that her close friends were using, she told them that she thought it was "stupid," and that she wasn't interested.  Over the next few weeks, despite being offered pot by these "friends" on different occasions, and despite their descriptions of how "great" it makes you feel, my daughter held firm in her convictions.

Unfortunately, she got "dumped" by these "best friends."  Those that she has grown so close to over the past eight years now no longer speak to her.  Girls who slept at my house and practically lived with us for weeks at a time completely ignore her.  And while I tell her that there are lots of other people in the world with whom she can become friends, making friends for my daughter is very difficult because she is painfully shy.  In addition to that, she also feels that, because of her Inattentive Type ADD, that she is "damaged goods," and "who could possibly want to be friends with me?"  This type of ADD is typified by lack of initiative, which means it is incredibly hard for her to start that conversation with a new person. 

I am trying to give as much support to her as I can, and I have told her how PROUD I am that she has made a smart choice, but the price to her has been painfully high.  I continue to pray, and to try to give advice on how she can make new friends.  There are plenty of kids with whom she is friendly, but making that transition to "someone I hand out with" has been a challenge for her. 

As a parent, it is hard to watch when your child is hurting and and there is very little Mom can do to help!