Housekeeping

In 1998 I joined a board at parentsplace.com for women who were expecting babies in December of 1998. There got to be quite a group of us. After our babies were born, we moved to a board for women who had HAD babies in December of 1998. We saw December of 1999 and December of 2001... we had some tiffs along the way... a few people left with hurt feelings over different situations. But we for the most part stuck together. Boy... what a group we were too! Career mom's with one kid, SAHM's with 6 kids, single moms, older moms, conservative moms, liberal moms... religious moms, atheist moms... but we were all moms, and we all lived our lives the best way we knew how for ourselves.

Then the 2004 election came around. And things got ugly. Really. Really. Ugly. And they ended up so ugly that a group broke off and formed their own group (it was more than just the election, but that was the breaking point).

So... I'm saying that here, now, because politics get messy, and politics bring forth emotions, and we women tend to be REALLY good and REALLY bad with emotions.

SO... to that end. I have a political platform I follow. I know who I want to vote for. I don't 100% agree with their platforms or beliefs, but after careful study, they are who I support. Many of you have decided whom you want to vote for. Some of you have picked the same group I have, some have not. Here's my request & pledge.

Request - When commenting on my blog, I ask that you be respectful of my opinions. You do NOT have to agree with them, and if you want to intelligently debate them, I will happily do that, but please don't come and just bash. Kinda that whole "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"

Pledge - I promise that first of all, for the most part, I won't get very partisan on my blog. I am a politics junkie... I love to see this process work from all sides. And if I do bring politics to my board, for the most part it will be bi-partisan. ALSO, I pledge when I visit YOUR blogs, I will be respectful of YOUR beliefs and only say nice things.

We live in an amazing country where we get to be so much a part of our political process. We tend to forget that and take it for granted. I don't ever want to do that.

We also are all individuals, all with different experiences and beliefs and thoughts and priorities. We are never going to all agree. But isn't that wonderful? How boring would life be if we were all the same. But we all need to respect those who ARE different from us. Someone who believes something different than I do isn't stupid, or an idiot, or mis-informed... they're just coming at life from a different place than me. And that's ok. They can do that. I just ask for the same respect back from them.

So... there... there's my little tirade for today. I've REALLY enjoyed getting to know you ladies, and I REALLY don't want politics to ruin any more friendships in my life than it already has.

Thank you and Goodnight

(Cue falling balloons)