Thursday, July 23, 2009

A few things you might not know about me, and a few you probably do.

Let me open by say that I am feeling quite hormonal and easily irritated today ~ however I plan on making ZERO apologies for my feelings ;-)

I often wonder what people think of me when they have seen me in the super market using the WIC coupons that the girls get, or when I have a child of a different race calling me mom. I am currently too swollen to wear to my wedding ring, so I am sure that doesn't help much. But between the cashiers who comment "what a nice wallet/handbag you have" when I am getting my free milk and cheese, to the moms who I meet and assume things about myself and my family, I invite you to get to me just a little better before you jump to conclusions.

Here goes nothing.....

1. I have been married twice, once for 6 months, and currently for almost 7 years.

2. I moved out of my house when I was 15.

3. I dropped out of high school when I was 17.

4. Although I am currenlty pregnant with my 3rd child, my first two are adopted.

5. As of August, my husband and I will have been active foster parents for 5 years.

6. Both my husband and I have been laid off in the past 12 months.

7. I have never been the recipient of any public assistance.

8. I have always been able to obtain decent, well paying jobs considering my lack of education.

9. I own a home.

10. I was a member of the Young Republicans.

11. While I have never even held a gun, if you were to come into my house in the middle of the
night, I would shoot you.

12. Even though I am pro-life, if any of my girls were to get pregnant, I would have no problem
making them an appointment at the abortion clinic.

13. My sister left her 3 daughters and her husband to serve in Iraq.

14. My brother is currently serving in Iraq.

15. My eldest daughter was addicted to methamphetimines when she was born.

16. If I came across a child that was in need, I would most definitely help.

17. I give change to homeless people (much to my husband's dismay).

I guess my whole point is this; while I have pretty conservative beliefs, I am a compassionate woman, a mother who understands how difficult it is to juggle a career and child rearing. Several times I have left my child in the arms of a daycare provider, screaming for me, in order to go to work. And tortured myself all day over it. But I do it. Not because I want to, but because I have to. I am by no means well off, but I have enough, not because it came easily, but because I have fought and worked my butt off for it. I pay my taxes, I help my community, and overall I feel like I do my part. I would help someone if they needed it. But I will be damned if I will sit back and quietly allow our current administration to overspend my tax dollars in order to push thru a public health care agenda that in my opinion is not necessary. Does everyone deserve basic rights? Of course. Should all children have access to health care? Of course. Does everyone fall on hard times and need assistance then? Of course, and that should be available. But for the most part, all of the above circumstances are available to those in need. I have had to be agressive when asking for my foster kids to receive the same level of care that I receive when I pay with my cash and insurance. But I get it done. If my kids needed to eat, I would work. I don't care where. My husband took a job that he doesn't like because that is what you do. In this economy, you take whatever job you can because your family needs it, not because it is the job you always dreamed of. You figure it out.

So while I am currently sitting back and watching all of the people who thought that this new president and administration were going to come in and "save" all of us, I am secretly hoping you were right. I don't believe it for a second, but I would love for it to happen. It won't. Not until the population of Americans who believe that the people who have more then enough should share with those who don't decide to get off their asses and help themselves will anything change. I am a perfect example of the average "under priviledged" american. I am a female, I dropped out of high school, I will soon have 3 kids under the age of 5, and I am currently working only 2 days a week. But somehow my kids are fed, clean and happy. While it's not the best time of my life, it certainly isn't that bad. I figured it out, why can't they? And no, I am not living off of my credit cards.

~Christine

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