The Pursuit of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

Here is what I believe-

Everyone should be able to....

love who they want.

wear what makes them happy.

spend their life doing what they love

live their life in a way that makes them happy 

.....so long as it isn't illegal and doesn't hurt another person.

Here is what I don't believe in-

Santa Claus, the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny 

Getting to decide, legally or otherwise, how other people get to live their lives

Getting to decide, legally or otherwise, how to define 'family'

Picking your personal highlights out of the Bible, and throwing them around to hurt people 

Being 'Christian' is the same as being a good person

Being 'Atheist' automatically makes you a bad person, or a witch 

Someone else standing in the way of my child's happiness ( That is MY job!)

My Children like to plan their birthday parties, more so than any other annually occurring holiday. And, we talk about them, a lot.

This will be the one day of the year they go, do, see, be a part of anything they want with whomever they choose. It's a big deal- literally, anything goes.

I have a child, and not the one you would expect, maybe, if you know my kids, that has started to plan, as he puts it, 'the ultimate spa day'.

yes, he.

The day will start with a yummy breakfast, 'probably at cracker barrel, because you can have breakfast anytime of day, & a bottle of rootbeer to drink'.

We will go to the 'fanciest spa', & 'wear fluffy robes'.

We will 'have a mani/pedi, & gunk on our face at the same time'. 

'We will have to have cucumbers on our eyes, but I don't know why'.

'There will be yummy snacks, like grapes and cheese'.

'We can also drink orange juice out of fancy glasses'.

'AND IT WILL BE GREAT!'

and it will be

I don't know what this means right now, but it doesn't matter. I am only in charge of making sure it happens. 

Here is what I do know- you jack with my kid's happiness and life goals, and I will not like you.

 Making fun of someone, because of their choices, is not okay- EVER.

Denying someone life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness, just because you don't like what their life & happiness looks like, based on a religion they might or might not follow (which is why there is separation of Church and State, in this great Country of ours, founded on the right of religious & personal freedom.....), is, sad.

Here is what else makes me sad- one day, maybe soon, there is a solid chance that someone will say something horribly hateful to one of my children, and make them feel bad about their life choices.

One of the the favorite movies that I like to watch with the kids is 'Hairspray', the new one, not the old one with Ricki Lake, though I have promised to show them that one as well, so we can compare them.
The whole movie can be summed up nicely by a line from an African American Woman, currently being oppressed by segregation, after a catchy tune titled, 'Don't leave me without love', when she finds her teenage son, has fallen in love with a white girl. Let's remember, it was a big issue back then, just like other peoples love lives (& other choices) are a big issue today....

Motormouth Maybelle: Well, love is a gift, a lot of people don't remember that. So, you two better brace yourselves for a whole lotta ugly comin' at you from a never ending parade of stupid. ( New Line Cinema, 2007)

 Lots of things are gifts, that we are all unique is a gift, but that won't stop the ugly coming from the stupid parade.