I can’t even read an article about South American gang members without having that painful twist of empathy threaten to make me cry. Gang members! But when the author tells me that their parents abandon them as children to find jobs in other countries, and they haven’t seen their mothers in 10 years and they cry on the phone saying they miss you, Mami…well, what’s a mess of a mom to do? I am now afraid of:
-drive-by shootings
-ferris wheels
-fireworks
-drunk drivers
-raging rivers
-floods
-bathtubs
-toxic waste
-global warming
-facial cleanser
Do I need therapy?
Honestly? Sometimes when I listen to the news it makes me NOT want to have a child.
But then I read blogs like yours and see pictures like the ones you posted and can’t wait to bring a darling little one into this world. I don’t think you need therapy. I think you make complete and total sense.
Seems normal to me. After last week’s storm, I’m now afraid of tree limbs crashing through the roof onto Luke’s crib – dreamt about them even! But I’m curious – why facial cleanser?
Lisa, that’s SO nice.
Katie – my facial cleanser has many many -paraben chemicals in it and I read on a nontoxic cleaning website that parabens have been linked to breast cancer in women. The old me would have guffawed at this tidbit and proceeded to drink a bottle of Cetaphil just to spite the website, but the new me is paranoid. But thrifty – I am going to use this bottle until it is gone and then I am going to find an all-natural facial cleanser. One that doesn’t peel my face off.
Okay – Jealousy is me. Sorry about the confusion. I posted a comment as “jealousy” on Katie Everybody regarding her trip to San Diego to see Indigo Girls and then the name stuck.
You don’t need therapy.
You need to move to an organic farm (no toxic waste) on high ground (no floods or rivers) with with a house at the end of a quarter mile driveway(no drive-by shootings or drunk drivers) that has only only showers (no bathtubs) where you can stay away from the county fair (no ferris wheels or fireworks). And, um… stop washing your face, I guess.
You’ll just have to ignore the dire predictions of global warming. Maybe it would help if the farm were in someplace cold… like Alaska.
Watching too much news gets me paranoid too – BUT – (and this is in response to Lisa’s comment at the top too) I think, more than ever before, the world DESPERATELY needs families like yours (and like Lisa’s) etc. who love, educate, and nurture their kids. Otherwise, there’s absolutely no hope left.
And, on another paranoid note — I’ve read the paraben thing too. I’ve yet to switch over face wash but I did find a yummy citrus smelling paraben-free body wash at the nearest Whole Foods. I guess that’s a start.
I haven’t heard about the paraben thing. I used to scoff at the whole deodorant causing breast cancer thing, but then I read some actual scientific research that might support it. Key word- might. Please don’t stop using deodorant!