Our family is different. Granted most families are, right – I mean we all beat to our own drum and play our own theme songs. However, ours is different because we are a two mom household.
June is the month to celebrate Pride, and we absolutely love this month in our home. We love to celebrate our family, our family structure, and more so we love a month in which our family is celebrated!
{Photo credit: Jami Karow}
We’re often judged, misunderstood and persecuted, but during June we feel a little less of that, and our hope is that with education we can feel this way every month of the year too.
For the most part, I do not feel that the judgment comes from a place of hate as much as it does from a place of misunderstanding.
Just this past week I said to my daughter’s preschool teacher as they’re discussing Father’s Day at school, that we (my wife and myself) are, too, just navigating this path of a being two moms. We don’t always know what to expect, but we cherish all the moments that make our life just that… OUR LIFE!!
As we are learning what it is to raise a daughter with two moms we often fly by the seat of our pants, and if we’re honest, all of us as parents are doing the same thing.
{Photo credit: Venture Photography}
However, as we navigate down this road we encounter almost daily challenges. Our family structure is not understood by those who have never been faced with it before, and that we understand. Without knowing someone or having a family member in a homosexual relationship, raising a child, there really is very little reason why people would understand.
Understand how our family was created, how we raise a child without a member of the opposite sex, how we face the questions people might ask our daughter like, “Where’s your mom AND dad?” or “What are you doing for Father’s Day?”
If you have questions about our family, feel free to ASK THEM. Ask them in a polite, respectful way and we will answer them. As in any other facet of our lives, education is power, and sharing education surrounding our family structure is something we are more than willing to do.
This education, sharing and discussing matters that you might not fully understand is what will breed respect among us all. Now I know that there will be people who don’t agree with our family and that is okay. There is another valuable lesson to be learned here, to agree to disagree, but to continue to show respect to one another and most importantly, to our children.
{Photo credit: Emily Lien Photography}
We are very lucky to have a fiercely independent little girl who, at the age of ‘almost 4’ will proudly tell you she has two moms, no dad/father. Her teacher told us that she proudly told her class she has a mama and a mommy, no father, but she does have a Papa (her grandfather).
What I want to share here is that as you see celebrations for Pride Month, instead of asking why we need the celebration, ask more so how you can gather a deeper understanding of those that are ‘different’ than yourself.
Once you do this, I believe you’ll realize we aren’t so much different , that we all face the same battles; like getting our 3-year olds to keep their pants on, our 2-year olds to use the potty, and our 1-year olds how to share, and who it is that heads up our family really isn’t that important.
At the end of the day we are all PARENTS and we love our children.
3 comments
Good for the both of you! I’m wishing your family endless blessings!
I LOVE this article. You have a beautiful family <3 Can't wait to see more articles from you!
This is beautifully written, Debbie! Thank you sharing. I love how you are more than willing to answer questions and you are right – even when we agree to disagree we all deserve respect. Love you! (and Jeanna and G)