Dear Ally,
I'm really worried about one of my close friends. She goes to a different school and her friends there have been pressuring her to drink for the past two years. She's a strong person, and has resisted the temptation up until last week. She'd gone with her friends to someone's birthday party, and she finally gave in and drank. She got drunk, and was really hung over for the next two days. She knows I don't approve of her friends from school, and she knows they're not a good influence either. Her parents don't know about what happened because they were out of town that weekend, but they strongly disapprove of alcohol. She feels really guilty, and she doesn't know whether to tell her parents or not. She's come to me for advice, but I don't know what to tell her, so I've come to you. What should I advise her to do?
Please help,
Advice for Advice
Dear Ally Alco
Dear Advice,
Looks like you've got a delicate situation on your hands. Finding new friends within her school may be a good idea- friends who will have a good influence on her. Confronting her current friends who are affecting her and driving her towards making bad choices. You may also want to let her know that she has made bad choices under peer pressure, and that she needs to stand strong once again against their pressuring. However, you also need to let her know that her strength in the past was something she did well, and that she should be proud for having held out for so long. However, the most important thing you need to remember is to treat her with love. No matter how much you disapprove of her having alcohol, how much you dislike the fact that she gave in, you need to show her that you care about her unconditionally. Show her God's love- hate the sin, love the sinner. Remember that alcohol is actually okay (even in the Bible- Jesus turned water to wine for his first miracle)- as long as the rules are abided by and you avoid drunkenness.
She should tell her parents what happened and let them know what's been going on. Remember (and remind her) that her parents are ultimately in charge of making sure she is safe and turns out to be a fine, responsible young lady. They have raised her and deserve to know what's been going on, and can more than likely give her some sound advice on how to avoid another situation in which she could be pressured by her friends.
The most important thing you need to remember is that she's only human and everyone will give into peer pressure and make mistakes sometime in their life. Just remember that she still is your friend, and that for her to come to you for advice means she trusts you a lot. Don't let her down- try your best to show her the love God showed us, and forgive her and accept her-mistakes and all.
Good luck!
Ally Alco
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