On Election Day, someone said to me, "I'm so tired of abortion being such a big factor in the elections. It's such a dead issue." Because this person is not a close friend, I tried to restrain my comments a little. I didn't want to alienate her, but I also wanted her to know that I strongly disagree with her.
My reply? "You're right, it is a dead issue. But it shouldn't be."
And why should it not be a dead issue (no pun intended, by the way)? Well let's look at Mr. Obama's first week in office. What's on his plate? An executive decision to overturn a ban on federal funds (that's money contributed by you & me, y'all) going to organizations who perform abortions in other countries.
YIPPIE!!! ALL our problems are now solved because innocent, helpless (and inconvenient) little lives will be ended across the globe...not just in our country. Don't you just feel a little better knowing that our commander-in-chief considers this a TOP PRIORITY?!
Why is abortion such an important part of the elections? Because with one swift stroke of the pen, one man can make it possible for millions of babies to disappear.
The person who made that comment to me on Election Day also said that she doesn't think abortion is right for herself but she doesn't think our government should deny another person from getting one. If you are of that same opinion, ask yourself one question.
Why would you say that abortion isn't right for your or that you would never have one? Is it because you know...deep down in the dark recesses of your heart...that it is the deliberate destruction of a baby? And if that's the case, then why is it ever okay for our government to allow someone to kill their child? That doesn't compute.
If that thought still doesn't spark a change of heart, consider this. Why is a baby referred to as a "baby" when it's wanted but referred to as a "fetus" when it's not? During both of my pregnancies, NOT ONE TIME did the ob/gyn ever refer to my unborn offspring as a fetus. Hmmmm. Could it be we're switching labels for the sake of our conscience? (Going down a different road...which sounds worse, affair or adultery? Both mean the same thing.)
If THAT still doesn't spark a change of heart, then in my never-to-be-humble opinion you seriously need to reconsider the value you place on all life.
Don't misunderstand me. I've known a few women in my lifetime who have had an abortion. I do not pass judgement on them at all. In fact, my heart hurts for them. I'm sure the process they went through to come to that decision was gut wrenching, and I'm sure they have suffered afterwards as a result. But my heart hurts even more deeply for the child who never got a chance to live.
I'm sorry, but for me abortion should never be a dead issue in the political arena. Ever.
Monday, January 26, 2009
All dogs go to heaven
At least I hope they do! We had our beloved Siberean Husky put to sleep about a week ago. It was a really hard day for both hubby & I. She was only 7 years old and, up until a few months ago, healthy as a horse. We thought she would be with us for a long, long time.
Unfortunately a few months ago, she began exhibiting symptoms we couldn't ignore. The vet guessed that she had bone cancer or an auto immune disease...we couldn't afford to find out for sure...and put her on steroids to see how her body reacted. Initially, she bounced back. We thought we were out of the woods. Then right before Christmas, she started tanking. Her red blood cells and platlets (sp?) were low, and her white blood cell count was high. The vet increased her medication, but every subsequent blood test showed that those same values were moving in the wrong direction. The vet was of the opinion that it was either bone cancer or leukemia.
A couple weeks ago, we decided that we would put her down if she didn't improve at the next visit. And she didn't. We kept her for another five days to love on her and say our good-byes. Didn't make "the day" any easier though. Both hubby & I were blubbering like little kids.
Almost a week has gone by, and the grief is beginning to fade. I still miss her deeply and will for some time to come. But I also know that it's not good for my girls to see me cry every time I go into the backyard. So instead, Ray & I have been talking about her a lot and remembering her in positive ways...stories, pictures, etc. Now that several days have passed, Ray has been asking where she is. We told her that Maya went to heaven to be with "Baby Jesus"...which is a leftover from Christmas. I asked Ray if it was okay if Maya was his dog from now on. She said yes, but she's said several times in the last few days that she misses Maya a lot. (sniff, sniff)
We have a few stuffed husky toy dogs, and she is napping with one now. Makes me a little sad for her. She loved to run after Maya in the back yard during the warmer months. Not sure what it will be like this summer when Maya isn't there. The other hard part is that we don't have a dog. I can count on one hand the number of years in my entire life when I haven't had a dog. Even though I don't want another one right now, I will eventually. And I told hubby to keep my emotions in check. The girls keep us so busy right now that we just don't have enough time to devote to a new one. We talked about waiting a few years before we seriously consider it. Even though I know that's what is best for all of us, it will be really, really hard for me.
Her death has created a big hole in our hearts. One that won't be healed any time soon. We do have one very fat kitty to love on in the meantime. Hopefully she won't take a turn for the worse any time soon; she will be 13 this year. I doubt hubby would mind much if she took a trip to the Great Beyond, but I've had her for a long time. So obviously it would be hard on me to lose two four-legged babies in the same year. In the meantime, I'll do what I can to move forward and teach the kids that sometimes bad things happen, but we can still survive despite the bad stuff.
We decided to have a special picture made in honor of Maya and our other beloved husky, Brandy, who died in 2002. We know of a gal who does beautiful charcoal drawings, so we're going to have a small portrait made of both of them...with their bright blue eyes the only thing in color. I know we did the right thing by them. When they both died, neither dog was the same fun-loving creature we'd loved. It was time for both of them to make friends with Jesus. :)
Many Bible literate people would tell me that animals don't go to heaven, but being the animal lover that I am, I have a hard time believing that. They may be correct, but right now, that's what I need to believe. The thought of not seeing them again makes my heart hurt.
We love & miss you...rest in peace Sweet Maya!
Unfortunately a few months ago, she began exhibiting symptoms we couldn't ignore. The vet guessed that she had bone cancer or an auto immune disease...we couldn't afford to find out for sure...and put her on steroids to see how her body reacted. Initially, she bounced back. We thought we were out of the woods. Then right before Christmas, she started tanking. Her red blood cells and platlets (sp?) were low, and her white blood cell count was high. The vet increased her medication, but every subsequent blood test showed that those same values were moving in the wrong direction. The vet was of the opinion that it was either bone cancer or leukemia.
A couple weeks ago, we decided that we would put her down if she didn't improve at the next visit. And she didn't. We kept her for another five days to love on her and say our good-byes. Didn't make "the day" any easier though. Both hubby & I were blubbering like little kids.
Almost a week has gone by, and the grief is beginning to fade. I still miss her deeply and will for some time to come. But I also know that it's not good for my girls to see me cry every time I go into the backyard. So instead, Ray & I have been talking about her a lot and remembering her in positive ways...stories, pictures, etc. Now that several days have passed, Ray has been asking where she is. We told her that Maya went to heaven to be with "Baby Jesus"...which is a leftover from Christmas. I asked Ray if it was okay if Maya was his dog from now on. She said yes, but she's said several times in the last few days that she misses Maya a lot. (sniff, sniff)
We have a few stuffed husky toy dogs, and she is napping with one now. Makes me a little sad for her. She loved to run after Maya in the back yard during the warmer months. Not sure what it will be like this summer when Maya isn't there. The other hard part is that we don't have a dog. I can count on one hand the number of years in my entire life when I haven't had a dog. Even though I don't want another one right now, I will eventually. And I told hubby to keep my emotions in check. The girls keep us so busy right now that we just don't have enough time to devote to a new one. We talked about waiting a few years before we seriously consider it. Even though I know that's what is best for all of us, it will be really, really hard for me.
Her death has created a big hole in our hearts. One that won't be healed any time soon. We do have one very fat kitty to love on in the meantime. Hopefully she won't take a turn for the worse any time soon; she will be 13 this year. I doubt hubby would mind much if she took a trip to the Great Beyond, but I've had her for a long time. So obviously it would be hard on me to lose two four-legged babies in the same year. In the meantime, I'll do what I can to move forward and teach the kids that sometimes bad things happen, but we can still survive despite the bad stuff.
We decided to have a special picture made in honor of Maya and our other beloved husky, Brandy, who died in 2002. We know of a gal who does beautiful charcoal drawings, so we're going to have a small portrait made of both of them...with their bright blue eyes the only thing in color. I know we did the right thing by them. When they both died, neither dog was the same fun-loving creature we'd loved. It was time for both of them to make friends with Jesus. :)
Many Bible literate people would tell me that animals don't go to heaven, but being the animal lover that I am, I have a hard time believing that. They may be correct, but right now, that's what I need to believe. The thought of not seeing them again makes my heart hurt.
We love & miss you...rest in peace Sweet Maya!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
When am I going to just accept...
...that someone will always be cranky.
...that someone will always need to be cleaned up.
...that someone will always need to be fed.
...that someone will always need something.
...that something will always be dirty.
...that something will always be missing.
...that something will always need to be washed.
...that something will always be missing.
...that nothing will ever happen the way I want it to.
...that my to do list will never be finished.
In our small family of four, those previous statements are always true. So why do I have such a hard time just accepting that fact? At a recent mom's group meeting, we all took a personality test, and my score revealed that I am a "beaver", which means that I'm always busy, I'm a planner, I'm an organizer, and I need structure and organization to thrive.
We've learned in the last three years (since becoming parents) that our lives are not our own. That's a total understatment, for sure. But living that reality is making me stressed out. I guess it's a good thing that I know I'm the one who stresses me out; my reaction to my environment is the only thing that's truly within my control. But the fact that I constantly spin my wheels but never get anywhere is really taking a toll on me.
Hubby & I started saying no to a lot of things after Jordi was born, but that hasn't helped. Our lives are so full of every day junk that we rarely have time for ourselves or any meaningful project that desperately needs to get done. As a "beaver" the lack of organization and schedule is making me nuts. I'm hoping this year will be a little better as the girls are a little older and learn how to do more for themselves.
Right now for me, the trick is accepting life as it is, doing what I can and just learning to find joy in unexpected places. Another trick is in not wishing away these early years with my daughters in an effort to make my life easier.
...that someone will always need to be cleaned up.
...that someone will always need to be fed.
...that someone will always need something.
...that something will always be dirty.
...that something will always be missing.
...that something will always need to be washed.
...that something will always be missing.
...that nothing will ever happen the way I want it to.
...that my to do list will never be finished.
In our small family of four, those previous statements are always true. So why do I have such a hard time just accepting that fact? At a recent mom's group meeting, we all took a personality test, and my score revealed that I am a "beaver", which means that I'm always busy, I'm a planner, I'm an organizer, and I need structure and organization to thrive.
We've learned in the last three years (since becoming parents) that our lives are not our own. That's a total understatment, for sure. But living that reality is making me stressed out. I guess it's a good thing that I know I'm the one who stresses me out; my reaction to my environment is the only thing that's truly within my control. But the fact that I constantly spin my wheels but never get anywhere is really taking a toll on me.
Hubby & I started saying no to a lot of things after Jordi was born, but that hasn't helped. Our lives are so full of every day junk that we rarely have time for ourselves or any meaningful project that desperately needs to get done. As a "beaver" the lack of organization and schedule is making me nuts. I'm hoping this year will be a little better as the girls are a little older and learn how to do more for themselves.
Right now for me, the trick is accepting life as it is, doing what I can and just learning to find joy in unexpected places. Another trick is in not wishing away these early years with my daughters in an effort to make my life easier.
Our wagon is bound to stop moving
I heard something on the radio today that I think fully describes the direction our nation is headed. When the number of people riding in the wagon outnumbers the people who are pulling it, the wagon will stop moving eventually.
I don't believe we're there yet, but that's where we're headed with every piece of legislation that takes money out of the pockets of those who work hard and puts it into the pockets of people who do not. Don't mistake my meaning. I understand and empathize with those who are physically or mentally unable to work for a living, and I think it the job of charities, churches and individuals to help support them through their own generosity. I do not think it is the function of our goverment to take the money from us through taxation and give it to people who are able to scam the entire system. Unfortunately the number of those type of people is on the rise.
And unfortunately, the professional politicians in Washington, in our state and in our communities don't give a crap about the well-being of our system or those who need assistance to get by. They are interested only in the cash flow and the accumulation of power....all the while further burdening those who works their butts off to bring home enough to ensure the well-being of their own families.
AND unfortunately, more and more people are wanting to get out from under that burden and hop into the wagon....e.g. universal healthcare, financially rescuing those from their stupidity and greed, so-called stimulus packages, etc.
More government and more hand-outs is not the answer for our country's financial crisis. That leads to the road called socialism and evenually communism...ideals that our country used to despise. Responsibility, hard work, sacrifice, knowledge and the free market system are the keys to rescuing ourselves from the current situation we're in.
I don't believe we're there yet, but that's where we're headed with every piece of legislation that takes money out of the pockets of those who work hard and puts it into the pockets of people who do not. Don't mistake my meaning. I understand and empathize with those who are physically or mentally unable to work for a living, and I think it the job of charities, churches and individuals to help support them through their own generosity. I do not think it is the function of our goverment to take the money from us through taxation and give it to people who are able to scam the entire system. Unfortunately the number of those type of people is on the rise.
And unfortunately, the professional politicians in Washington, in our state and in our communities don't give a crap about the well-being of our system or those who need assistance to get by. They are interested only in the cash flow and the accumulation of power....all the while further burdening those who works their butts off to bring home enough to ensure the well-being of their own families.
AND unfortunately, more and more people are wanting to get out from under that burden and hop into the wagon....e.g. universal healthcare, financially rescuing those from their stupidity and greed, so-called stimulus packages, etc.
More government and more hand-outs is not the answer for our country's financial crisis. That leads to the road called socialism and evenually communism...ideals that our country used to despise. Responsibility, hard work, sacrifice, knowledge and the free market system are the keys to rescuing ourselves from the current situation we're in.
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