I'm not the person I used to be.
I believe that life is fluid, and our idea of who we are are ever-changing as we press forward. The things I believed defined my very existence in previous chapters of my life aren't even things that I think twice about today. I feel I am at a place now that I know who I am- for the first time in my life I have priorities, plans, AND purpose... I don't think I've had all three at any given point previously.
In a former life (or at least it SEEMS that long ago) I was very adamant that I would absolutely *not* raise my family in Utah. I didn't like it here. It was to much of a bubble. I wanted more than that. There's a whole world out there beyond this community and dangit I wanted my kids to grow up experiencing it.
But then I got pregnant.
And as it often does, that pregnancy led to a baby.
And now I'm a mom.
And this bubble doesn't seem so bad.
In fact, I honestly don't care if the only friends my kids ever know are cousins.
I don't care if my kids never EVER see a Las Vegas billboard for XXX Pussycat Dolls Nasty Club.
The idea of my family setting roots and being a part of this silly little community is fine by me.
I want my kids to know who they are, and unlike this new trend in gender-neutral parenting and hands-off approach, I feel as a mom it's my calling to help guide them in their self-discovery- religiously, philosophically, morally. I'm using plurals here as I know in my heart Chase will not be an only child. I'm thinking of more than just him here.
I still stand pretty strong that this place is severely lacking diversity, and I *DO* want my kids to explore the world and know different cultures than their own. I hope in a future chapter of our lives we can travel with them, show them places and things that I never have had the chance to see. I can't protect them from everything- and I don't want to. They have to know that there's more out there, but they can learn that without being bombarded by it. Making your own choices is part of discovering who you are and what you want. But I see so much benefit to this bubble now.
I'm thankful for neighbors who see Jon struggle to unload heavy furniture from the truck, and offer to help.
I'm thankful for a community not cluttered with pornographic ads because the general public doesn't accept it as OK.
More than anything, I'm thankful my babies will grow up surrounded by family. Aunts, Uncles, grandparents, cousins... people who love them AND share a similar moral code. I'm thankful to know that Jon and I are not on our own to raise our kids, that we have the support of the people we love. As the old saying goes: it takes a community to raise a child, a
nd it's SO true.
Don't be fooled. there are things about Utah I don't particularly love. Winter is too long. Fall is too short. Property is too expensive. Orem is laid out REALLY stupid. I wish there were more cultural diversity.
I hope someday Shelly can move here. I hope someday Jon's parents will move here. (Because we for SURE will never, ever move to Vegas again. Ever.) In the world we live in, I can't think of anyone I'd rather surround our nuclear family with than... more family.
I believe that life is fluid, and our idea of who we are are ever-changing as we press forward. The things I believed defined my very existence in previous chapters of my life aren't even things that I think twice about today. I feel I am at a place now that I know who I am- for the first time in my life I have priorities, plans, AND purpose... I don't think I've had all three at any given point previously.
In a former life (or at least it SEEMS that long ago) I was very adamant that I would absolutely *not* raise my family in Utah. I didn't like it here. It was to much of a bubble. I wanted more than that. There's a whole world out there beyond this community and dangit I wanted my kids to grow up experiencing it.
But then I got pregnant.
And as it often does, that pregnancy led to a baby.
And now I'm a mom.
And this bubble doesn't seem so bad.
In fact, I honestly don't care if the only friends my kids ever know are cousins.I don't care if my kids never EVER see a Las Vegas billboard for XXX Pussycat Dolls Nasty Club.
The idea of my family setting roots and being a part of this silly little community is fine by me.
I want my kids to know who they are, and unlike this new trend in gender-neutral parenting and hands-off approach, I feel as a mom it's my calling to help guide them in their self-discovery- religiously, philosophically, morally. I'm using plurals here as I know in my heart Chase will not be an only child. I'm thinking of more than just him here.
I still stand pretty strong that this place is severely lacking diversity, and I *DO* want my kids to explore the world and know different cultures than their own. I hope in a future chapter of our lives we can travel with them, show them places and things that I never have had the chance to see. I can't protect them from everything- and I don't want to. They have to know that there's more out there, but they can learn that without being bombarded by it. Making your own choices is part of discovering who you are and what you want. But I see so much benefit to this bubble now.
I'm thankful for neighbors who see Jon struggle to unload heavy furniture from the truck, and offer to help.
I'm thankful for a community not cluttered with pornographic ads because the general public doesn't accept it as OK.
More than anything, I'm thankful my babies will grow up surrounded by family. Aunts, Uncles, grandparents, cousins... people who love them AND share a similar moral code. I'm thankful to know that Jon and I are not on our own to raise our kids, that we have the support of the people we love. As the old saying goes: it takes a community to raise a child, and it's SO true.
Don't be fooled. there are things about Utah I don't particularly love. Winter is too long. Fall is too short. Property is too expensive. Orem is laid out REALLY stupid. I wish there were more cultural diversity.
I hope someday Shelly can move here. I hope someday Jon's parents will move here. (Because we for SURE will never, ever move to Vegas again. Ever.) In the world we live in, I can't think of anyone I'd rather surround our nuclear family with than... more family.
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