Tuesday, November 6, 2012

A non political Election Day post

Given we only have a Presidential election every 4 years, I hardly feel like I can blog today and not write about the election.  But, I am not a fan of political controversy.  I have lots of opinions on topical issues but never tend to involve myself in partisan debating. I think I just have so many friends and loved ones with very different opinions that I've learned to avoid going there.

The other thing is that I just have not been very involved in this election.  Four years ago Al and I were election addicts. We watched Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart every night (you know, to stay balanced!) and we followed every poll and were obsessed with it.  I even hosted a Super Tuesday party.  Yep, that's how cool I was.  My whole place was decorated in red and blue balloons and streamers.  I made homemade cupcakes with red and blue icing and then I made homemade cupcake toppers.  I printed off photos of all the contestants and cut them in circles and then laminated them and then stuck them on toothpicks.  I really wish I could find a picture of them because my John McCain round cupcake heads were pretty hilarious!

Now four years later, there was certainly no Super Tuesday party, sadly! And although I've briefly followed things and watched snippits of debates, I just haven't been very involved this time around.  And the simple reason is that I'm just too absorbed in my own world.  And I imagine most of my friends who have settled down and had babies in the past four years would find the same- your life changes and your interests change and I just watch far more Elmo's World than Daily Show.  And on top of just the normal growing up and becoming a parent process, we have had these crazy couple of years and I tend to get really caught up in medical issues and kidney stuff and working on these transplants and I sometimes just forget to follow what is going on in the big world out there.

It can be difficult when you are in a turbulent time to remember that there are other significant things going on out there.  To remember that people you love have their own dramas and interesting things happening.  To remember that this month we are picking a President and not just picking whether we transplant Max. I guess it's just easy to become self involved, or more broadly family involved.  But it's something I am working on.  I want to remember to step out of our baby bubble and be involved in the world out there. I need to stay up to date with current events and maintain my friendships and relationships and be as invested in people's world as others are in mine.  Slowly but surely as our life settles down (which let's face it, isn't really going to happen the next few months!) I am working on reintegrating back into the real world out there and out of our bad kidneys sick babies bubble.  Who knows, maybe by 2016 I will have gotten my groove back and I'll be making laminating Marco Rubio cupcake toppers... ;)

Meanwhile across the world today is significant for another reason.  Today is my wonderful mother in law's birthday. I am so thankful for my mother in law.  Max and Addie are so blessed with the four best grandparents ever.  They are so loved and so taken care of.  Their Marnie is about to be making her 5th trip out in less than two years, all the way from Australia.  When we were going through such a hard time in February, she knew we needed her and booked a flight and was out within the week. She has been such a support to us and we love her so much and we are so excited to see her in just over a month!


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