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A Tiny List of Life Choices You Don’t Need To Defend
Gentle reminders for weary souls.
Your job.
If you are an adult who pays their bills and conducts themselves in a manner that does not harm yourself or someone else — the world is your oyster. Maybe that means you work a 9 to 5 job, or perhaps that means you’re some high-powered executive with a corner office, or perhaps that means that you’re a freelance photographer who travels the world for a living while living out of a tiny, retro van. Maybe you’ve gone the traditional route — you’re a teacher, a lawyer, or a doctor. Perhaps you’re working at something that sucks your soul, but in your off time, you’re pursuing your love of baking, and you’ve started to sell your goods when you can. Perhaps your job is something entirely different — but the great thing is that it doesn’t matter. You are paying your bills. You are living in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone — and therefore, you don’t have to defend your career choices.
How you run your home.
Perhaps you are someone who likes things hyper-organized. Maybe everything that comes into your home has its specific space — the shoes go by the front door, and the blankets go next to the couch, and the kids’ toys go into a particular bin that gets tucked in the corner of your living room. Perhaps you like to make your bed, or maybe you prefer the crumpled comfort of worn sheets. Maybe you vacuum every day, or maybe you do it when you feel like it. Perhaps there is a revolving door of guest, or perhaps you prefer solitude more than companionship. The decisions are always up to you.
How you became a mother.
Whether it was through a natural cycle, IVF, or IUI, surrogacy, a gamete donor situation, or adoption, it doesn’t matter. They are your children. They have taken residence within your heart, and you are the one who is their protector for as long as you live. It doesn’t matter how it happened — and you don’t have to explain your journey to anyone if you don’t want to.
Your boundaries.
Perhaps you prefer to stay in rather than go out. Maybe you don’t like to text — and you’d much rather communicate on the phone, or vice versa. Perhaps you don’t want…
