As a mom, it’s
hard to find time to keep up on current events, mainly politics. I’m lucky to
get a report on tomorrow’s weather before Westly turns the TV off or
accidentally changes the channel. It’s easy to dismiss politics in the name of
motherhood. I mean, on a daily basis I’m bombarded with decisions to make:
cereal or waffle for Westly’s breakfast, run errands before or after his nap,
let him sleep in and enjoy some extra snooze time or wake him and enjoy an
earlier bedtime later that day, flick his hand for throwing food on the floor
or just act like I didn’t see him do it. Lots of decisions.
Which leaves
me hardly any energy to make bigger decisions like Romney or Obama, Lois Capps
or Abel Maldanado, YES or NO on that Prop.
However,
this year I was determined to stay informed and educated on politics and cast
my vote in the election. (after all, these big elections come only as often as
Leap Year!) I was not going to become a housewife/mother who would tell her
children later, “I didn’t keep up on politics—I was too busy raising kids!”
I kept
Westly in his highchair during the Presidential debates on TV. I kick-started
some political conversations with friends during play dates. I listened to some
AM radio while driving to the gym. And yesterday, I went to the polls.
While balancing
Westly on my hip, I quickly filled in my ballot as fast as I could before he
got antsy. I proudly wore my ‘I Voted’ sticker and protected it from Westly’s
reach.
And I realized
one thing has not changed despite becoming a mom: I still felt that warmth of
patriotism I have felt every time I casted my vote in the past since I was 18.
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