Activist Motherhood

I've always been one to cheer for the underdog, fight the power, fight the good fight, kind of woman. As a social worker I've dedicated my professional life to working with the underprivileged and disempowered members of our society. I'm big on the concept of social justice. For the vast majority of my career I've worked for women's organizations supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. As a matter of fact that's what I do part-time right now, counsel survivors of rape and incest. Let me tell you...there is not too much justice out there for these women (and men). It makes me so mad sometimes I could just spit.

All of that being said, motherhood has put a new spin on my thinking in regard to these matters. It's not that I didn't realize how important things were before, it's just that I feel like I have a bigger investment in them now. I'm raising a son who will be going out into the world and leaving his own mark on it. I want him to know that I did my little part to do something about all the crap that goes on. Before Collin was born it never occurred to me that I would become something of an activist mother, but here I am, definitely headed in that direction...if only in my own small ways.

Motherhood has also made me feel a sort of new and intense bond with all the other mothers of the world. Only with the arrival of Collin have I realized what the heartbreak of losing a child must be like. I can't imagine how I would go on without him...Especially if I lost him to a war not of my own making. I know everyone has their opinion on the Iraq war and what we've been doing over there, but it makes me sick to think of all those Iraqi mothers losing their babies to bombs. I also can't imagine being an American Mom with a son or daughter fighting in this war. How would I sleep at night to think of my kid in such harms way? So, with all of this being said and in the spirit of activist motherhood, I'm adding a couple of buttons to The Collin Chronicles introducing some grassroots organizations I support. Check them out if you're so inclined....

MomsRising.org

Code Pink-Women For Peace