Love and Intolerance

This morning a friend of mine posted a clip on facebook of Ellen talking about a teenager who killed himself because he was outed as being gay. I can't even tell you how sad this makes me. I am sitting here crying for some child I don't know. I don't want my daughter to know a world that is so cruel. What kind of sick world are we living in. We try and stop nuclear waste from coming into our state. We go out on Earth day and plant trees and clean up our rivers, and try our best to make this a beautiful world for our children, but then we teach them that intolerance and hatred is ok. I really can't think of anything worse than raising a bigot. I will always try and keep my children away from this mentality, but it is everywhere. It is in my own family.
I have literally stopped what I was doing and sat and thought what is it about being gay that people have a problem with. Unless you are involved with someone sexually, why would you care what two people are doing in the bedroom. Seriously. Does Christianity teach this? If so, that is definitely a club I won't be signing up for. I have listened to family members, or people I know, talk about being gay in a negative way, and their children are standing by their side listening to their words, sensing their negative thoughts, and I have to believe it is coming from their role models. It is so true when they say that children are not born bigots.
We don't choose who we love. Love is so powerful. It makes your mind spin. It truly makes the world a better place.

Every day I wake up and think what can I do for Piper today that will help form her into an outstanding person. We read, go to play groups, take music lessons, and the list goes on and on. I love her unconditionally. I try and shield hatred and ignorance from her existence. I am her guide. Her positive role model.

The one thing I know I can do that will enrich her life better than anything is to really and truly teach her love and acceptance for all. I don't mean a smiling face on Sunday and telling her to help a neighbor and be kind to everyone.

I want to teach her that two men or two women being in love and kissing out in the open is no different than a man and woman. LOVE IS LOVE. I hope not long from now when Piper hears someone spew their hate, she will openly challenge them and know how sad that person is for being so ignorant and hateful.

I know how I feel in my heart. I know how my husband feels in his heart. I hope more than anything that she will learn this from us.