Opinion

OP-ED: Prison Parents must Step It Up

Published

12 years ago

February 5, 2015

By Richard Johnson, Soledad State Prison

Even though we find ourselves locked down it doesn’t mean that we should negate our responsibility as parents, if anything it should be a resounding call for us to step up to the plate and be about the affairs of parenting. Even from a large segment of prisoners are in fact dads and mothers who’s predicament precludes them from being on the scene as a dependable parent, yet this can never be an excuse not to do your utmost to help raise your offspring as best as possible under seemingly impossible conditions.

<pclass=”yiv7920383483MsoNormal”>Whenever there’s a real will, there’s a real possibility.

Our children need us more than we may realize, this assertion is from firsthand knowledge. I wasn’t there for my son when he obviously needed me the most, to help guide him through the perils of the street.

By navigating a path through the hazards that permeate the perplexities that confronts the youth at every turn.

This isn’t the time to turn our backs on them thinking that we have no power in or say toward their upbringing, it’s quite the contrary, for it’s never too late to become a positive influence in their lives even at a distance.

All it means is that it’s up to us to be more creative and determined to bring sight and direction that would give them a way around the difficulties by applying resolute resolve noteworthy to parenting. Who knows better than you what it means to be guided in the right direction who can speak to truth. If you can’t who can?

Even though we’re in prison for alleged crimes, paying our debt to society, we owe it to our families to answer the bell of responsibility and accountable.

When it comes to our duties as parents, we must first acknowledge the duties bestowed upon us. Secondly, we must close any distance that may exist. Finally, the most vital is for you to find the way necessary to reclaim your rightful obligatory duties required of you to remedy the detached lines.

It won’t necessarily be easy. Then again, what in life worth achieving is easy?

Of course it’ll be somewhat awkward at first, nonetheless it’s prerequisite for those relatives or friends with parental charge, or guardianship to work in conjunction as a unit, determined to be successful as a team.

If for any reason that it doesn’t work at first, then you just continue until does, accepting nothing less than victory as a just reward. It has to be a joint endeavor with the offspring clearly in mind at all times, on all sides. We only fail when we give up and stop trying.

For as long as we stay committed to the task at hand, and not surrender to defeat, then eventual triumph is just on the horizon. Whatever is broken is repairable; all it takes is a willing commitment of devotion, patience and being obstinately persistent, without boundaries. If you truly want it to work, then you truly must put in the work.