Hurray for the Average!

I read a news article the other day about a 2 year old girl who had learned how to read. I thought, "Wow, her parents must be so proud!" A picture of her parents - smiling and, yes, looking very proud - sitting over and around the little girl was included in the article. At that point, I looked over at my 10 month old daughter. She must have sensed my stare because she turned her head and flashed me a smile, displaying her two new teeth. She was playing on the floor, banging one plastic ring on a picture book. By all accounts, she is developing along as she should be, hitting each developmental milestone almost like clockwork. Thus far, she is an average baby. And I thank the Lord in heaven every day for that.

When she was born, I prayed and thanked God that she had 10 fingers and 10 toes. She was beautiful, healthy and strong. I promised her that I would expect nothing of her but for her to be herself and to be happy and healthy. I do not desire an exceptional child. I do not expect her to learn to read her books by her second birthday or to even get straight As in school. All I want from her is to do her best and if that means Cs, then so be it. I just thank God that He gave me a healthy, normal, average child.

What's so wrong with average, after all? Most of us fall along the "hump" of the learning curve. Everyone wishes to be exceptional, a celebrity, the one who stands out in the crowd. Unfortunately, most of us merely fade in the crowd. Indeed, we are the crowd. But the exceptional need the crowd as a backdrop, a starting point from which they can say they rise above. Without the crowd, the celebrity is merely a person standing alone, his supposed significance having no reference point.

Average means you're just like everyone else - you're not falling behind and you're not flying ahead. You don't have the challenges of the below-averages or the burdens of the above-averages. You're free to be yourself without being defined by your "specialness." After all, the view isn't so bad from the top of that "hump."

Gay Marriage: View from the Outside

I grew up in a Christian household and educated at a Christian high school and university. I am quite aware of the verses contained in the Book of Leviticus, which proclaim homosexuality a sin. I know that conservative Christians, regardless of denomination, believe that gay marriage is an afront to the notion of marriage established by God in the Garden of Eden and vehemently oppose the recognition of gay marriages as legal unions, worthy of protection under the law.

Without delving into my personal views on the morality of homosexuality or preaching about "loving the sinner but hating the sin," I agree that the arguments against legal recognition of gay marriage fail in the face of scrutiny based on logic and reasoning. Furthermore, conservative Christians who hold up the Bible in response to the "legalization" of gay marriage conveniently forget the principle of separation of church and state. While conservative Christians rally behind this principle when they feel their right to practice their religion is being threatened by public policies, they ignore it when they feel the State has failed to promote their beliefs. The very laws that protect one's right to practice his or her religion free from state interference are the same laws that protect the rights of others from State-sanctioned religion or religious laws.

If we accept the separation of the spheres of religion (the "Church") and government (the "State"), then we must respect the law impervious to religious beliefs or notions. I do not mean to suggest that we must compromise our religious beliefs or that secular laws take precedence over one's religion; rather, I believe we can practice our religion and live according to its laws regardless of the State's decision on gay marriage. As long as the State does not compel someone to do something contrary to his or her beliefs, ex. compelling preachers and priests to officiate at a gay wedding, Christians are not prevented from living their lives according to their moral code in a world where gay marriage is legal. The matter of gay marriage is, and should remain, a legal, not religious, one. As Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's."

The reason for my sleep deprivation

I knew that having a child would alter my life forever. I did not enter parenthood blind to the responsibilities that it entails; indeed, my decision to bring a child into this world was made after many months of soul-searching. And with that decision made, I prepared myself for the greatest, and most challenging, job I would ever accept. I knew, long before she was even conceived, that my daughter's needs would precede my own.

Since her arrival, I average approximately 6 hours of sleep per night. That may seem enough for some but if you consider that my night is split up into 2 full blocks of unbroken sleep - the first lasting 2 hours and the second lasting four - you should understand why I walk around much of the day like a zombie. I'm not complaining but merely stating a fact, a truth uttered by billions of mothers before me: I am sleep-deprived because of my baby.

Each morning at 6 a.m., I hear her cry or call out "Mama." Usually, I manage to climb out of my fog and out of bed to stumble to her crib. I am often greeted with a smile, one that only recently included one tooth. That smile is often followed with another "Mama" and, with that, I instantly forget my fatigue. With one scoop, she rests in my arms and we sit in the big blue armchair in her room, her eyes fixed on mine as she nurses. In those early hours of the day, sleep-deprived but content, I know that I made the right decision.

Introduction

I'm a long-time "blogger" on geocities. The site was set up for me by a friend who is a professional web designer. After examining another friend's blogger site, I was quite impressed with the layout and decided to move to blogger.

I hope to post on a regular basis but, realistically, I will post whenever I have time from my full-time (paid) job and my family. I also hope to post my views on interesting topics and welcome any and all comments, even if they contradict my views, provided that comments are made without the use of profanity and not merely personal attacks.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you stop by again in the near future!