On My Soapbox: Breastfeeding and Gay Marriage

I’m off to my mother in law’s for the weekend for a graduation and Mother’s Day.

But before I go,

Two things:

Number One THIS:

*courtesy of Time Magazine*

Now. Really.

I mean REALLY Time magazine?

I understand the point was to get our attention, but DAMN!

You hear so much about the Mommy wars out there and this is just fueling the fire.

Yes, attachment parenting is a controversial thing in some circles.

Breastfeeding past the age of one is controversial in the US, let alone breastfeeding when your child is 3 years old and standing on a chair to get to your breast on the cover of a national magazine……

While I personally did not want to breastfeed past the age of 1( and Pookah put a stop to it himself at 11 months) I have no issues with women who want to.

What really really REALLY gets me is that this photo on the front cover of this magazine is deliberately provocative. They may say they are trying to start a dialogue, but based on the comments I see, this is just another battle in a long war on who is right, who is wrong, and who is a good parent and who is not.

Number Two:

I usually don’t get political or religious, but in case you DIDN’T know, I am team Obama and a Christian.

Now, I’m not one of those “I will follow behind the president in whatever he says or do” variety.

And I’m not a uber liberal Christian either.

No, I have a brain, and I use it.

There are plenty of things I disagree on with my President.

But his latest stance on gays being allowed to be married is not one of them.

Before I had gay friends, I might not have agreed. But life is an evolution, and hopefully your thoughts and beliefs are too.

I don’t believe in judging others.

PERIOD.

Oh sure, I have thoughts, I disagree, and sometimes I can’t help myself, I judge.

But I am also a Christain, so I always remember Matthew 7:

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Basically, the pot can’t call the kettle black…

What if Pookah is gay? What if he decides in the future that he wants to shout his love from the rooftop and marry? Will I cast down my own child?

I don’t think so.

But both of these topics today are issues that we have no right to judge others on. Of course, there is nothing wrong with saying you disagree with the idea of gay marriage, or that you would NEVER breastfeed a three year old.

But everyone has the right to chose what’s right for them.

Respect that.