Gossip // Baby // Joy
Those who matter know the truth and those who don't know, don't matter. As Kevin and I embark on the joyful journey into parenting, one of the most interesting times is sharing our joys with the world of social media. We are beginning to "go public" with a story that as far as I am concerned has already gone as public as necessary. The people whose opinions matter to me already know my full story, not just regarding pink pluses and marriages, but regarding complicated relationships and past mistakes. The people in my life whose opinion I value already know my life intimately, more intimately than anyone who might drop subtle or blatant hints at a truth that already exists in the most important circles of my life.
We are a world fed on gossip. Every post on social media is one that feeds the beast. Yet, we continue to do it because sometimes we want people to share our life journey with us and know what is going on, so we risk feeding the beast to reveal our life. Whether it is a scantily clad selfie or a surprising announcement, even the most classy people we know are subject to the whispers that are both on and offline. Whether it's a picture with a mysterious person of the opposite gender or a vague, yet inciting tweet, what we share on social media is subject to the critic of others. The question is whether or not these opinions matter to us. Are we posting for the sake of buzz or affirmation? Do we want to be talked about? What is the purpose behind our tweets, our statuses, our blogs, our pictures?
For me, I write and I post to share with those who I am not in immediate contact with. I have a very fragmented life with one former life in my home town, one current life in my college, and one new life under the roof of my in-laws. With people all across the country who I love and care about, sometimes it just seems easier to post one post to tell them all rather than individual texts or calls or emails. I am not saying it is better because we do sacrifice that important personal interaction. For my family, I still reserve my most important news for them first.
In a matter of hours, it will be a matter of math. I haven't wanted to post a simple date because those who matter know and those who don't know, don't matter. My friends and family support me and love me. They love not because of my mistakes, but in spite of them. They support me in the hard choices, the decisions I do not consider mistakes. What I don't want to hear is the negatives. I do not want to hear the snide comments or the gossip. The only real solution was to post the truth, which I have already done on this blog. In a matter of hours the whispers will stop because you can't whisper about what someone else has already shouted about. I'm not afraid of the truth and I am not afraid of the judgement of others. I've come to good place. I am happily married to the man I love and carrying his child. I haven't wanted to post the due date because I just want to hear the positives. I want to enjoy this pregnancy and I don't want to hear the snide comments and judgements coming from the peanut gallery.
Having a baby is never a bad thing. Life is a beautiful and miraculous thing. The first time we heard our child's heartbeat was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I lay there as the Ob/Gyn glided the doppler along my stomach searching for the heartbeat. Kevin held my hand and for the first time it felt real. There was a wonderful little life growing inside me. We looking onto the screen as she performed the ultrasound and we saw our the silhouette of our child. It was no bigger than a bean, but there is was with a beating heart and a head and arms and legs and it was ours. Our child. I knew at that moment that I would gladly die for this child because I love it so, so much. I can't wait to meet our child and I'm so very glad it was conceived.
We are a world fed on gossip. Every post on social media is one that feeds the beast. Yet, we continue to do it because sometimes we want people to share our life journey with us and know what is going on, so we risk feeding the beast to reveal our life. Whether it is a scantily clad selfie or a surprising announcement, even the most classy people we know are subject to the whispers that are both on and offline. Whether it's a picture with a mysterious person of the opposite gender or a vague, yet inciting tweet, what we share on social media is subject to the critic of others. The question is whether or not these opinions matter to us. Are we posting for the sake of buzz or affirmation? Do we want to be talked about? What is the purpose behind our tweets, our statuses, our blogs, our pictures?
For me, I write and I post to share with those who I am not in immediate contact with. I have a very fragmented life with one former life in my home town, one current life in my college, and one new life under the roof of my in-laws. With people all across the country who I love and care about, sometimes it just seems easier to post one post to tell them all rather than individual texts or calls or emails. I am not saying it is better because we do sacrifice that important personal interaction. For my family, I still reserve my most important news for them first.
In a matter of hours, it will be a matter of math. I haven't wanted to post a simple date because those who matter know and those who don't know, don't matter. My friends and family support me and love me. They love not because of my mistakes, but in spite of them. They support me in the hard choices, the decisions I do not consider mistakes. What I don't want to hear is the negatives. I do not want to hear the snide comments or the gossip. The only real solution was to post the truth, which I have already done on this blog. In a matter of hours the whispers will stop because you can't whisper about what someone else has already shouted about. I'm not afraid of the truth and I am not afraid of the judgement of others. I've come to good place. I am happily married to the man I love and carrying his child. I haven't wanted to post the due date because I just want to hear the positives. I want to enjoy this pregnancy and I don't want to hear the snide comments and judgements coming from the peanut gallery.
Having a baby is never a bad thing. Life is a beautiful and miraculous thing. The first time we heard our child's heartbeat was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I lay there as the Ob/Gyn glided the doppler along my stomach searching for the heartbeat. Kevin held my hand and for the first time it felt real. There was a wonderful little life growing inside me. We looking onto the screen as she performed the ultrasound and we saw our the silhouette of our child. It was no bigger than a bean, but there is was with a beating heart and a head and arms and legs and it was ours. Our child. I knew at that moment that I would gladly die for this child because I love it so, so much. I can't wait to meet our child and I'm so very glad it was conceived.
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