Admittedly young love is one of the sweetest of emotions and raging hormones roar with gusto throughout high school and college age years.  Recently announced sexual etiquette rules issued by Tufts University only serves to remind us of what goes on in many college dorm rooms. Sadly, and almost always, the passion of that first romance doesn’t last forever. Boys and girls become men and women and through that evolution the balance of a relationship can change imperceptibly, but enough to create a schism too wide to fix.

With the national divorce rate at 50%, who among us has not had a broken heart or two or three? Hopefully, we have grieved, healed, and moved on to find someone better suited to who we are. But we never forget our first true love and as Sheryl Crow says, the first cut is the deepest.

If our son or daughter shares their heartache with us, it is important to guide them through the stages of grief and help them understand that their life has only just begun. There will be love again. It may not come immediately but eventually they will pick themselves up, heal, and move on. In some cases parental love and support is not enough and outside help is necessary. We need to be on our toes and know when to step in. As our children continue on their journey towards independence, there is still an important role for us to play.