I get asked all the time if I'm a republican or a democrat.
I've actually been pegged a time or two as a socialist.
And yes, I've even been called a feminist.
Here's the truth, I'm not sure if I fit the bill for any of the above.
I'm ridiculously conservative when it comes to life at any stage; I'm a firm believer in that life begins at conception and it must be protected... at all costs.
I'm insanely driven to fight for our country's families and as unrealistic as it may appear to some, I'm confident to believe that one day the U.S. will live up to its standards of being the most powerful country in the world that values its families. I pray that my son and daughters will not just have the privilege but rather the right to stay home to be with their newborn or to care for an ill loved one.
I'm incredibly serious about not only protecting my four children, but protecting my country; I feel that if we are not safe, we are not only vulnerable, but our lives are at risk. Security is of utmost importance for not just me, but for all.
I'm particularly passionate that we need to uphold our constitutional rights and defend what is ours; that being said, I wish we placed a greater emphasis on caring for those who are nearest us, in our own hometowns, our own cities, across our states. As our modern day saint Mother Theresa reminded us to never worry about numbers, but help one person at a time... and start with those nearest you.
I'm bold and daring enough to say that all too often we live in a country that majors in the minors; if we would turn our focus onto some of the more glaring, wearying issues instead of putting a band aid on a seeping wound, we would see more issues resolved rather than them continuing to fester. I prefer to face and fix a problem head on, rather than hide my head in the sand.
I'm liberally minded as an entrepreneur and author and will apologetically say I wouldn't mind if one or all of my children decided to forego college; yes, as a highly qualified educator, I stand behind that statement. I want each of my children to be highly qualified at whatever they do choose to pursue, be fully equipped and trained in their endeavors so they can not only be successful, but also give back to society. As long as each of my children are passionate about what they do, are using their God-given talents and showing an intense work ethic, I will see that as being magnificently fulfilled.
I'm exceedingly perplexed as a retired teacher of over a decade that education has been restructured in a way that is only setting our children (and parents) up to be frustrated and fail; we have taken away a large portion of the rights and creative freedom that teachers should possess in their classrooms. Policy makers who have never been in a classroom should not be dictating such impactful regulations, or any prominent laws for that matter.
And I'm a tremendous believer that love wins. Love always wins. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails.
In this time of transition, of uncertainty, of both anxiousness and hope, I'm choosing to remain positive, to remain diligent in my core beliefs, and to focus on what I can personally do to better myself, my children and those around me.
What will you choose?
Respectfully Signed,
A Mother of Four Who Will Continue to Believe that The Best is Yet to Come
You can follow Long on her personal page or at The Real Deal of Parenting