::::::::::::::::::::climbing up on my soapbox::::::::::::::::::::
Oh how I wish I could hold my tongue sometimes, but of course, sometimes I just can’t. (Yes I know there are verses in James that speak on this. I’ll read them again. LATER.)
I’m just so SICK of seeing and hearing about that stupid Time magazine cover on Attachment Parenting. Seriously……SICK.
Let’s a get a little perspective OK?
This child on this cover is OBVIOUSLY well fed.
Do I care how he is fed? NO!
Do I care where he is fed? NO!
Do I care where he sleeps? NO!
Do I care how old he is? NO!
He is obviously fed. He is obviously well loved and well cared for. He obviously has a BED to sleep in at night. He is obviously well groomed. He isn’t beaten. He isn’t neglected.
So, his mother still nurses him. WHO CARES! That is a PRIVATE matter. Emphasis on P.R.I.V.A.T.E!!! So what if he co-sleeps with his parents! AT LEAST HE HAS PARENTS!
I think we are losing a little perspective here! Let me SHOW you something that really matters:
THIS matters! She bounced around from house to house all of her life. She’s terrified of being hit. ALL.THE.TIME. She never had a real bed to sleep in…..yes, THAT’S RIGHT, she slept on the FLOOR! She never owned pajamas or even knew what they were before she came to my house. She still sneaks food because she’s STILL afraid she won’t have a next meal. She owned LITTLE of anything: clothes, toys, etc. And her family DIDN’T.WANT.HER. Gave her away for whatever reason.
SHE MATTERS!
He was TERRIFIED of people! Didn’t know what it was to be held and loved and snuggled. He refused to let anyone TOUCH him. He was neglected and starved so he ate from the TRASHCAN! He still does 7 months later! He will eat off the floor if I don’t get it swept up fast enough. He was unwanted and unloved and uncared for. And somewhere in the back of his memories…he’s worried he still is.
COME ON, PEOPLE! HE MATTERS!
At 2 months old, he was beaten nearly to death! He had so many head injuries the doctors didn’t think he’d make it through the night. And that wasn’t the first time…..or the first head injury. It was only the first time they’d taken him to the hospital. For 3 months of his life, he knew nothing but pain and misery. Massive brain hemorrhage from the brain injury resulted in emergency surgery that nearly took his life again. He is a walking, talking miracle of God. And he is alive to tell about it.
HE MATTERS!
Children like these are ALL.OVER.THE.WORLD and THEY MATTER! My family is nothing special. We struggle just like anyone. We live paycheck to paycheck. And sometimes we worry how we are going to raise 6 children. But we are trying! God commanded it! So we are doing it! Some weeks we really struggle, but we always make it through: financially, emotionally, physically.
These children MATTER, not who breastfeeds the longest or works a 40 hour a week job and puts their child in daycare. None of that matters! What matters is that they are clothed and fed and well cared for.
What matters is they HAVE someone that loves them!
I’m sure everyone around me is sick to death of hearing me go on and on about Fostering and the foster care system and what EVERYONE can do to help, but doggonit, it’s falling on deaf ears.
EVERY church can do something. SOMETHING. If EVERY church would help in some way (volunteer one Saturday a month at the local shelter, support a foster family, host a Foster Care Sunday, etc) it would change the face of our foster care system. And DOGGONIT, God commanded us to look after the widows and ORPHANS.
GET.UP.AND.DO.SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Just get UP! You are WITHOUT excuse.
In the Tulsa area, if EVERY church had JUST ONE foster family in it’s congregation, our shelter would be EMPTY. EMPTY! And can you imagine if that entire church rallied around and supported that ONE foster family, what an amazing experience it would be for EVERYONE. The foster child could have hundreds of Grandmas and Grandpas to love and spoil them….take them fishing. Hundreds of favorite Aunts who always have gum. Hundreds of Uncles to help make Pinewood derby cars and listen when a girl breaks his heart for the first time. And that foster family wouldn’t have to worry about things like gas in their vehicles or leaky roofs or whether or not they could afford bunk beds for the kids. It’s a hard job, they need help. Find out what you can do to help them.
UGH! It just PAINS me to see how everyone is so up in arms over a PHOTOGRAPH of a breastfeeding mother and yet they turn a blind eye to what really matters and is happening all around them.
It’s disgusting and I’m ashamed.
Open your eyes for goodness sakes. Get your head out. STAND UP and do something.
Support the MOTHERLESS.
::::::::climbing down from my soapbox::::::::::::
::::::::::: putting it quietly away :::::::::::::
Amen Dana! I have seen so many posts about this of course. But haven’t been able to really figure out how to write my thoughts down about it. I guess I say if nobody is being hurt or neglected, leave them alone. Like you said, there are so many kids who would love to just be loved. So sad.
Umm why? Why are you putting your soapbox away? Needs to be heard. Thank you for writing it… you know I’m AMENing you from over here. Love you.
That was amazing and beautifully said! I had the same conversation with a friend today; in a world where slavery and homelessness and abuse occurs, why do we CARE about this stupid, petty argument. Thank you for saying it so beautifully, and with beautiful pictures. Gave me chills. Bless you and yours.
Beautifully written thoughts. So glad you shared them with us all. We often need reminded of what “really matters”. It really does sicken me that stories that make news are only those that will profit from it. Praying for your lovely family.
First off, fantastic post. Truly. Sometimes we all need a little perspective. (I’m less concerned with the whole breastfeeding at 4 thing than that poor kid 10 years from now realizing it was him on the cover … )
I hope and pray that one day I can be an adoptive mother and a foster mother. I pray that’s in my journey somewhere.
You do an amazing job and are so filled with love. I love reading your thoughts every day.
Don’t EVER get off that soapbox friend! People need to remember what is truly important. Protecting God’s children should be our first priority, not arguing over parenting methods.
Stay on your soapbox! You have a message that needs to be heard! God certainly has a soft spot for “orphans.” I put it in quotes because I think the definition is broader than “children without parents.” I suspect that a lot of shocked people will some day hear ,,, Whatsoever you didn’t do for one of these little ones …”