Life Chats

I love the little moments when I get a chance to teach my kids things and I know they really understand what I'm trying to say. Last week I heard my youngest son call his sister gay. Not ok. So I've been talking to them pretty regularly about love and how not all couples are a boy and a girl. I figured I would snatch the opportunity to teach them respect before the word "gay" becomes a negative thing. Before other kids help him form his opinions.

One of my favorite songs is Take Me To Church. In the video a gay couple is targeted by a hate group and one is actually killed. He watched the video while we were camping and I could tell he was completely uncomfortable confused and a bit embarrassed. I asked him if he had questions about it and at first he said no but a bit later he started asking. I love that about our relationship. I love that they can come to me first. Not Google or the playground. Who knows what they would hear...

I explained to him that I am a lot like the singer of that song. Although he's not gay himself, he's aware of the hatred in the world toward people who are and uses his song to bring awareness to the problem. I am not gay but I love all people regardless of who they love. They don't have to look like me or like what I like to be respected. What matters is they LOVE. Who or how is not our concern.

He asked why people would hate someone so much they would kill them just because they are different. I told him when people don't understand something it causes fear. Fear makes people do crazy things. Fear makes hate. So when kids make comments at school about someone being gay just laugh at them because they haven't conquered their fear or took the time to understand that being different is what makes us special. If you don't fear something it can't upset you. It's just the way a person is, like being left handed or having brown eyes. We are born this way. It's no different than being short or tall, having a crooked baby toe.

...and he understood. He really thought about what I was saying and I could see the ease about the topic come over his face. He relaxed a little. I think it might stick. Or at least make him think twice about using derogatory words, allowing them to be part of his vocabulary.

A mom win. I will take what I can get.

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