I’m stepping away from my usual first time mom postings to write this short piece. It’s sort of ties in with motherhood/parenthood. We do our best as parents to make sure our children grow up in a safe environment. But what about the issues that are beyond our control?
Reading the news headlines as of late has got me worried. It was one of the discussions my husband and I had when we were talking about having kids. Is this a society/world we’d want our child to grow up in? At first, we were like “No, we cannot,” but then I felt that my generation and the ones after us were striving for that progressive change. We are the ones that will take over when the older generation dies out. It really is up to us. So, I said, “we can do it.”
But these headlines… it’s got me shaking my head so much I might have whiplash (- kidding). I have more questions I have to ask myself as a mom.
Do I want to send my kid to school where they could potentially get shot?
Do I want my kid to grow up in a polarized society where we cannot love each other the way we want to publicly? Or we cannot even talk about it to our children, have it be seen in books, and movies, etc.?
Do I want my kid to have to hide from society because of they way they are?
Do I want my kid and their partner to make a life altering decision in secret and unsafely?
These questions are with me daily. Sometimes, I feel guilty bringing my child into this world. I thought we were moving in the right path to equity/equality, but as the days go on, I see that we keep taking steps back. I hope this is just a minor set back and we will continue to push forward as my child grows.
I think we want to do what’s best to protect our children and we all have our own morals and beliefs. I understand why some folks want certain topics to be left to the parent discretion. But there are certain instances that can create shame. I know this isn’t the intention, it’s because we want to shelter our children from the “real world” as much as possible. But by doing this, these children will begin to feel shameful for the way their family looks or the way they live.
I want my child to grow up proud to be an interracial kid. I want him to be proud of his Mexican and Japanese heritage and the stories that brought him to where he is. I want him to be proud to be an American and love this country because everyone is loved in this country (including those who want to become a part of this country). I want him to learn about the different cultures that make up this country. I want him to be curious and ask all the questions. I want him to grow and develop empathy towards other people who are not like him. That is the society I want him to live in.
I’m lost in how I want to make a difference. I cannot sit by and watch women’s bodily autonomy being pushed aside and controlled by other people. I cannot sit and watch our future generations die because we are slow to put up actual gun reform/regulations. I’m not sure how I can go about to make a difference or even if I, alone, can. But, I will use whatever platform I can get my hands on to try.
Thanks for letting me take a break from mommy life blogging to write my thoughts out about these current events.
I hope you all are staying safe.
