Too Quick to Judge

One of the lessons I have ever so slowly learned as I got older as how important it is to not JUDGE people just because they do things differently. Moving to Portland has certainly helped with that.. . . compared to Indiana, this place is a mecca of diversity and alternative lifestyles. The lessons started long ago though, when I chose to be an attachment parent. That photo on the cover of Time magazine that has people so troubled was a common image in my house. All four of my kids nursed for between 3 and 4 years. It wasn't weird. It wasn't sexual. It wasn't forced. It wasn't harmful. In fact, it was the opposite. It was compassionate, close, nurturing, gentle, loving, and very right for them. Labeling people because they do things differently as WRONG is  . . . well, wrong. People eat different ways, parent different ways, love different ways, work different ways, talk different ways . . . and that is OK. If it works for them and no one is harmed (and anyone who thinks that attachment parenting is harmful hasn't done enough homework), then just LET.IT. BE. (I now step off of my soapbox and return you to your regular, nonranting program.)