Blogging for LBGT Families Day. Hmmm…this looks like fun. What to write about? What to write about? Oh, perhaps my family.My wife Susanne and I have a beautiful one year old son named Danny. He doesn’t really understand that he has two moms. He does understand that when he’s cranky or fussy or excited or happy, there are only two faces he searches for. Yes, our faces.
He doesn’t understand yet that most of his little friends have a mom and a dad which is different than our family. But he does know that when he wakes squawking in the morning and cranes his neck out the door to see who is coming, he’s looking for only 2 people in the world. Yes, mama or mommy. And apparently he finds that all others pale in comparison when it comes to hugging him or rocking him back to sleep.
Danny doesn’t know that there is hatred and bigotry so we are going to have to to help him learn to navigate this world. He doesn’t know that there are people who think that gay people raising a child are “committing violence” against that child. (Thank you Catholic Church.) He doesn’t know that there are those who shake their head at our decision to bring him into the world because “he’s going to have such a hard life” because of our “lifestyle”. Right. Perhaps said people should think about the role they play in creating this "hard life" because of their actions and words.
We’ll have to teach him that he word prejudice comes from the two words “pre” and “judge”. And teach him how stupid and lazy it is to automatically prejudge anyone.
So our job is clear. We’re here to teach him how love conquers hate. Being members of a gay affirming Lutheran Church instead of my once beloved Catholic Church is a good start.
But I guess the thing that makes us happiest is that we are blessed to be surrounded by a community of friends and family and co-workers who are truly accepting of our family. I can't imagine what it would be like to not have that. Oh...and we'll want to teach him gratefulness. There's just so much to do. We'd better get cracking! –Monica (and Susanne and Danny)
2 comments:
Great post! I just about blow a gasket when people say stuff about how hard a "lifestyle choice" is on the child. (1) Because I hate the expression "lifestyle choice," and the way it is only applied to CERTAIN situations as if only SOME people "choose" their lifestyle, and (2) like it's SO HARD for a child to have two loving parents who love each other. Gosh, that must suck! Good thing upstanding members of the community are on the alert for such problems and can be "concerned" about them!
*pant pant*
Where was I? Oh yes! "Great post!"
Thanks Swistle! Yes, I've never quite understood the way some people use the words "lifestyle choice." I guess if I'd married some guy and lived unhappily ever after I'd have made a "lifestyle choice" then too. You know, living a lie and making myself and lots of other innocent bystanders miserable. Good choice eh?
Thanks again for your comment! I think I'll go over an get my daily dose (or two) of Swistle now! -Monica
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