Political rant

I don't like reading political rants from people, especially those that bash our current president and his administration.  I'm not a politically savvy person, nor am I particularly eloquent in my discourse when it comes to discussing politics, but I'm going to state my position here and then drop the whole subject altogether.

I don't identify myself with any one political party or another, however if I had to choose one, I'd probably say I'm a Democrat, and a rather liberal one, at that.  I like Obama--I think he had a difficult position to come into, and while he probably hasn't done a stellar job, he's done the best he can with what he's had to work with.  In 2008 during the primaries, I voted for Hillary for president, but I was elated to see her running against Obama, and was perfectly happy that he won.  In 2016, if Hillary runs, you bet your bippy I'll be voting for her.  She did an exceptional job as Secretary of State, and I don't think anyone, D or R, can refute that.

I believe that abortion should be an option for all women.  It's NOT a path I would ever choose for myself, no matter what the circumstances, but I don't believe that anyone has the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her own body.  No government, no doctor, no man, no other woman.  I've been hearing stories of the abortion doctor out east who committed atrocities on women seeking abortions.  While I would never condone what he did, I couldn't fault him if it was what those women wanted.  I believe in educating women and young girls on the choices available to them.  YES, there are plenty of people out there willing to adopt a baby as an alternative, but asking a woman to carry that baby for 9 months then hand it over...I don't think it's fair to ask anyone to do that, just as it's not fair to prevent a woman from carrying a child if she doesn't want to.

This article is interesting in that it asks the question why abortion is a crime for men and not women.  Simple: men aren't carrying the child. It's not their bodies doing the work.  They did their part, but they had it the easy route.  It's a very tricky road, but ultimately, it's a woman's body and, in my opinion, her decision what happens to it.  In this case, she did not choose to have an abortion, her husband did, and he had no right to do what he did.

I believe in same sex marriage, and equality for the LGBT community.  Again, it may not be a path I'd choose to take myself, but I'm not in love with a woman.  Who am I to tell someone who they can and cannot love and marry?  I'm no one, and no government, in my mind, has the right to tell someone that.  Equality in all things.  It's that simple.  Fifty years ago, African-Americans fought for equal rights.  Today, it's almost a non-issue.  I hope the same for same-sex marriage in time.

I believe in respecting those whose opinions I may not agree with, but ask that those who do not agree with mine respect them just the same.  We don't have to agree, but don't try to convince me I'm wrong in my thinking, and I promise not to make you feel like you're an idiot for feeling the way you do.  Voilà.  /rant.

Mother's Day

This past week, I've been thinking a lot about Mother's Day and how lucky I am to have the best kid on the planet.  Oh, you might THINK you do, but I assure you...I definitely do.

But I've also been thinking about what could have been.  I think about all those embryos we had to go through until we found the PERFECT one that stuck.  But why didn't any of the others?  What was so special about Jackson's that it did?  I mean, I know what makes him so special, but it's these thoughts that creep into my head in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep, and lay there thinking.  We had 10 other embryos implanted.  It's safe to say the best one stuck!

I think about the fact I might have had a 2 year old now, had pregnancy #2 been successful.  DAUNTING, really, but oh how I would have loved to have another.  That's not to say I'm in anyway unhappy with the one I got--nothing could be further from the truth.

But it hurts my heart something awful when I see Jackson fawn all over a baby girl (which he does more often than anyone realizes!), and I wonder what he would have been like as a big brother.  Would he have teased his little sister or brother?  Would he have protected him/her from bullies?  If anyone deserved to be a big brother, it's Jackson, and that's evident when I see him with other little kids.

I have no regrets.  I don't regret donating that one lone embryo early on.  I think about that, too, and can only hope that the embryo that went to Harvard was used to save someone's life from the research that it provided.  Imagine a cure for diabetes, cancer, or any one of the other thousands of diseases that have affected each and every one of us everyday.  Nope.  No regrets.

I think about other things, like all the "mothers" I've had growing up.  I had my own mom, but there were so many other strong female role models I had around me as well, both family and friends, teachers and mentors.  I was truly lucky.

I love being a mother.  I'm not always good at it, but frankly, neither was my mom (sorry, Mom), and I turned out ok.  But I'm doing the best I can, and I love that little boy with my whole life, with every breath I take.  Some days are challenging, but each day brings something new, and I love learning as much as he does.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!