Thirteen

I just watched a movie titled Thirteen. It is an incredibly touching movie based on a true story. A young girl, Tracy, hitting her teens is swept away by another girl her age, Evvi. Evvi sweeps tracy into a dark underworld of sex and drugs. Tracy goes through changes physically, emotionall and spiritually through this movie. Her father isn't around and her mother's boyfriend is an ex-crack addict. Her morals are eroded before they have begun to develop and we see her going to self-mutilation. Before Evvi reveals her true colours after her stash is found by her guardian. Evvi places the blame on Tracy. Tracy's mother finds out about everything and the movie closes with her mother holding her in her arms overnight, Tracy wakes the next morning and looks around her... what is she to do now?

This movie touched me in so many ways as I remember the pains of going through early teens wondering who I was and what I wnated to do, what did people expect of me? I wish I had known the words of God at this time in my life, I probably would have ended up a lot different from what I am now.

Girls Like Tracy and Evvi need this sort of guidance, what can we do to help these sort of girls, these stories do happen, girls are going through these things younger and younger, what is to blame? Lack of parents, School environments or something more sinister? Why are young girls attracted to this sort of lifestyle?

Something needs to be done, parents, schools, churches aren't showing these girls the *real* effects their choices have, how they can ruin their lives so quickly. I don't think this neccesarily means preaching to them about how Jesus Saves Lives, because I remember the urge to rebel and how strong it was at that age, but show them the real effects... the tangible things, the girls who are on the streets selling themselves for their next hit, the girls with young families because they made the wrong choices... before we can help these girls have faith we need to help them have sense of self!

What can we do to help these girls?