One Act Of Obedience

The mother of a fifteen-year-old girl was anxious about her daughter’s recently acquired independent attitude. Among other things, she recently spent most of her allowance on perfume, contrary to her mother’s instructions. Finally, the mother said to her daughter, “Didn’t I tell you not to use so much perfume? I can smell it a mile away!” “But mom,” the girl replied, “I love this perfume. It’s called ‘Princess,’ and when I wear ‘Princess,’ I feel like a Princess.” To which the mother replied, “I wish you would wear one called ‘Obedient.'”

Disobedience! Well-known to every parent, it’s as common as the “common cold,” and a condition for which there is no known, sure-fire cure. “So what else is new?” you may ask. All joking aside, we are learning there is a much more serious manifestation of disobedience known as “Oppositional Defiant Disorder.” For parents of children diagnosed with this devastating psychological condition, every day can be like living in a war zone. Psychologist James Lehman,…