Voice of a Mother

LABELS!!

I for one am tired of the labels that others think I must attach to my children.
My children are MY CHILDREN.
It does not make any difference if I gave birth to them, picked them up at
Social Services, met them at the airport, or got them from an orphanage.

Color is not an issue I have when it comes to my children.
They are my children whether they are white, red, black, yellow, or
purple with pink polka dots on them.
Love sees no color – only a child that needs love in return.

Why do we as a society make it so hard for the non-traditional family?
It seems like if the American family does not fit the Jones’ mold,
then something must be wrong.
Why can’t the traditional family just be considered a mom, a dad, or two parents
raising children that they have chosen to love as their own?

For children that need a home.
For children that do not have a family.
For a family that wants children.
The match is perfect: adults want and need children; children need and want adults.
Adults and children both want to receive and give love.
It’s a win-win situation.

Why do people make it so hard on me when I go walking through a mall,
eat at a restaurant, go to the park, or to the movies?
Why do people think it is okay to stare at my family,
whisper about us, and make funny faces when we walk past them?

We are not blind or stupid.
I see you. My children see you.
My children ask why are you staring at us.
I tell them the plain truth:
People are ignorant and not very accepting of diversity.
People like the ‘cookie cutter family’.

We do not, nor will ever have a ‘cookie cutter family’.
Each member of our family was made from a different mold.
A unique mold. A special mold. A mold God made just for them.
We have different tints and shades on our skin, different shapes, hair color, and eye color.

No two of us are alike.

I for one, believe that my family is living the better life for the diversity that we have.
My family is making a difference in children’s lives. In OUR children’s lives.
The next time you see us in the store or eating at a restaurant,
please don’t stare and wonder how we all got to be a family.
Ask me how we got to be a family … I’ll tell you.
Maybe then, after hearing our story, you just may want to break the cookie mold yourself.

© Sherri L. Wittler