give me your tired, your poor

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Though I remain mostly silent (at least on this blog) about my political opinions, seeing pictures of children being taken away from their parents in response to the Trump Administration's "zero-tolerance" policy made me cry today. (By the way, contrary to popular belief, I didn't even cry when Romney lost the 2012 election). Hearing audio taken from these detainment camps was even worse. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on about equality for women in the workplace, gun control, gay rights, religious freedom, immigration laws, border control, violence, racism, etc... but I’ll stop myself here. Although my Dad (who is mostly joking, by the way) teases me when he says that I've been brainwashed by the liberal media, I've recently thought a lot about why so many of my own political opinions have shifted over the last two years.

Though there are plenty of reasons I could list for this change, (i.e. Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump), the one thing that has changed me most to my core was becoming a mom. Seeing the world through the eyes as a mother who is raising an 18 month old son; a son who will one day grow up and live in this world without me always right by his side, has changed my perspective on absolutely everything. Politics aren't just black or white, left or right anymore - these are policies affecting human beings. People worth just as much as I am in the eyes of our Creator. They are mothers and sons. Fathers and daughters. And for the most part, these are people just trying to create a better life for their children, just like I am.

I won't take the time to argue why I think drastic steps need to be made when it comes to X,Y and Z (though if you know me you know I’d try);  if anything, I've learned well enough by now that my opinions are just that, my own. And though I don't know or understand the complications behind every legality, policy or procedure, I try to remember that there are people just as genuine and concerned about one side of an issue, as there are on the other.

But most importantly, more than ever as a mom, I hope I continue to look at this world and its people a lot more compassionately than I ever have before. 

PS. 

Currently working with the Mitt Romney campaign here in Utah as we speak ;) Go Mitt.