Soundtrack here
I ask you, Young Lovers, what is with this world's need to place gender identity on our young?
I am blessed with beautiful children. I'm not being haughty, I'm just stating fact. AxlBlue comes from very pretty people.
And they make VERY pretty little boys. I'm no stranger to having infant sons mistaken as girls. I always assumed it was kind a my fault with Sonny because I dressed him in all pastels. Until he was like three. (Yeah, I know... but you know what, he thinks he was a pretty baby too, so there, haters! ;) ) So I wasn't particularly annoyed that BabyBoyBlue (B3 to his friends) was once again mistaken for being a little girl in the Wal-ly World yesterday. Even though he was wearing a garish orange jammie that I wouldn't have let my infant daughters be caught dead in, but I digress...
Or do I? Because the lady looked him over when I sweetly said, "thank you," to her "what a pretty little girl you have." It was almost as if she knew without me telling her (because honestly, why make people feel bad, and B3 doesn't know if he's a little girl or a little boy at 17 mos. old... does he?) And she says, "oh, I guess he is a boy in that orange get-up. If his mommy would cut his hair, people could tell." This exchange ended with me continuing to smile sweetly until she huffed away with her shopping cart, her fanny twitching like she clearly felt I'd wronged her in some way by not properly genderizing (yep, I may have just made that word up expressly for your reading pleasure) my son for her.
Ok, it's not like he looks like Goldilocks or anything! Although, if he did, I'd never ever EVER cut it off. ;) I like pretty things. I like pretty people. When he's old enough to decide, he can get a mohawk and dye it puce for all I care. Sonny had an Afro of golden curls until he was six. And do you know why he cut it off? It was too hot. He's trying to grow it back out now that he's old enough to stand a little discomfort and suffer for his beauty. In fact, he told me hopes to grow it as long as Jesus's hair. Of course, he's also trying to grow his beard out like Abe Lincoln's by next year. And alas, there is only so much hair a man of sixteen can grow... But my point is, why is it so important that we label ourselves in this way? Why are their no gender neutral pronouns in our English language, besides "IT" to describe ourselves? Why can't we wear a skirt and say, "Hi, I'm Steve," and hear "Hello, Steve, great to meet you," back on a widespread basis?
I don't get it. We are who we are. I did that thing when my kids were little where you give them a pile of toys with an equal mix of dolls and trucks and let them choose what they like without judgement. And guess what, my straight boy loved his dolly but loved his trucks more. My two straight daughters tore the doll's clothes off and dressed their stuffed kitties in them. So does that prove anything???????
We worry so much. We try to put everything into categories. Yet we strive to live in ways our Creator (whoever that is for you) teaches. And usually, this means loving all, and treating all equally. I was watching one of my few TV shows last week, and I don't remember which one it was (sorry) and someone said something along the lines of "gender is not a static thing."
I like that.
I like you.
<3 With Love, from ME2U, RaleyBlue <3
