DEAR ABBY: A short time ago, I discovered my parents are "swingers." I had picked up my mother's phone to take a picture and an incoming text caught my attention. When I read it and investigated further, I learned the truth.
I don't mind what they do with their marriage, and I respect their choices. However, my siblings and I were raised in a strict Christian home. My parents taught us the opposite of what they are doing. Now I feel they are hypocrites.
How can they tell me to act a certain way when they don't practice what they preach? I'm not sure if I should talk to them about it or drop this entirely. Help! -- DISILLUSIONED DAUGHTER
DEAR DAUGHTER: What exactly do you mean when you "investigated further"? If it means you searched the history in your mother's phone, you crossed the same line children do when they search through the drawers and closets of a parent's bedroom looking for things that are none of their business.
Before labeling your parents as hypocrites, please remember that they raised you with basic values that are shared by the majority of people. If they have "strayed from the path," it's their choice -- and it may have happened after they taught you your good Christian values.
I think you should talk to your mother about what you did and what you found. If you do, she may have a few more lessons to impart.