Hope for a better world….

After September 11th I remember thinking, "How could I ever EVER bring a child into this world? It is full of awful, scary, horrific people."

6 months later I was pregnant with my first child.

And then I had two more.

After the bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday, I was reminded of my September 11th feelings.

This world is full of psychos and I've got three children IN it.  How can I ever keep them safe?

And then it hit me.

I can't.

I can't make sure that they don't get bullied at school.

I can't make sure that they don't get in a car accident.

I can't make sure that they don't get killed by a bomb while waiting at a finish line.

All I can do is teach them to be good.

I can teach them to think of others.

I can teach them the value of a human life.

I can teach them the blessing of being able to work.

I can teach them to feel gratitude for what they have and who they are.

I can teach them to love and to be loved.

I can teach them….to be good.

And then I thought, "I sure hope all the good people keep having babies. We need as much good in this world as we can get."

I'm working every day to make sure these three help this world to be a better place….

…They are my hope.

5 Years and Counting….

Five years ago today I married this guy.

Everything I wrote in that post in 2008 still stands…five years later.

Yep, even the nightly back rubs.

And as that post suggested, he does just keep getting better with age.

How I got so lucky to find "a Shane" I do not know, I'm just so so grateful.

He loves me for who I am, respects me for what I believe, and appreciates me for what I do.

The other night as we were drifting off to sleep he told me, "You're the perfect girl for me." And then he recounted all the reasons why.

Then he told me how, when he thinks about his life before me, it just seems silly and pointless.

I smiled from ear to ear in the dark.

I thought it was cute that he thought he was the lucky one because I knew the truth….

I'm the lucky one.

Round Two…the final round.

Last post on this, I swear.

This time expressing my views, not just that I would like to be able to have them without others getting angry. (which apparently I can't). :)

These are my actual views.

I know….double suicide.

But last night Shane and I were talking and he said, "Do you think it's inevitable that gay marriage is going to happen?"

I said, "Well, if I say nothing because I believe it's inevitable then it's definitely inevitable."

To my conservative friends:  Stand up for what you believe. If you don't know what you believe, figure it out. If you believe something but don't know why, figure it out. But don't allow liberal bullies to kowtow you into silence.

I am not a homophobe.

I am not a hater.

I am not a bigot.

I would never say or do anything mean or cruel to someone because of their sexual orientation.

I have gay friends.

I tend to think people are made up of more than just their sexuality. I don't like people because they are gay or because they aren't gay.  I like them because they are funny, or smart, or kind, or talented, or any number of different things. I would hate to think people like me or don't like me because I'm straight.

So when I say I'm against gay marriage you can't tell me that it's because of any of the above reasons.

It is also NOT because my church says I have to believe this way or because I think being a "good mormon" means I don't support it.

I have my own brain and I use it.

Recently I stumbled upon an article written by a Libertarian who neither supports or opposes gay marriage. She actually refuses to have an opinion on it.  But she brilliantly describes the social implications of allowing gay marriage into our society.

It's long. Really long. But if you are going to have a public opinion of gay marriage (for or against) you should read this in its entirety.  No really. If you're gonna open your mouth in public to support it or oppose it, you need to know what you're really supporting or opposing.  This is it.
(hint: it has nothing to do with equality).

http://fireflydove.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/a-libertarian-view-of-gay-marriage/

If you are for gay marriage because you think this is about equal rights, read the article.

If you are for gay marriage because you want to be PC, read the article.

If you are for gay marriage because you think it is the most kind and accepting thing to do, read the article.

If you are for gay marriage because you don't want to stand in anybody's way of what they want to do, read the article.

If you are for gay marriage because you think it doesn't really affect you, read the article.

If you are for gay marriage and you don't want to/won't read the article because you already know how things should be…you make me nervous.

I am not smarter than God.

I am not smarter than history.

Both of these demand marriage to be between a man and a woman. (if you don't believe in the one, then certainly you have to believe in the other.)

There is a reason history repeats itself.  People think they are smarter and more progressive than their foolish parents of yesteryear.

There's sort of a pattern people.  (read the article)

You should pay attention to it.   (read the article)

And if you want to tell me I'm a bigot or a jerk or a hater, just make sure you read the whole article first.

Everything she writes is the reason I believe what I believe and none of it is hateful.

The question is: Are you willing to flippantly mess with a fundamental foundation of society* because you think it would be "nice"?

For me the answer is no.



*not just our society, but any society that has ever worked