Equality.  One of my biggest fears, in life, is that my children will become typical "Southerners" and have prejudice...of any kind.  We actually had a situation this past week, where my daughter and her "BFF" got into an argument and racial slurs were used.  MY child started it.  I was mortified!  I've raised my children with such diversity...I never imagined that they'd use that sort of language!  Her friend's mother and I got the girls together for a talk, and everything got worked out, thankfully.  It was like nothing every happened!  It went from conference over a fight to a really great sleepover! lol  I love the resiliency of children!  Still, though, it pains me to know that no matter what I teach my children, they still chance picking up negativity and hate, when out in the world.  Try as I might, I can't protect them from everything!  BUT...no matter what they're exposed to in the world, they know that, at home, with Mommy, peace, love, and tolerance are all that's allowed!  And, that's THE RULES! :)

This is one reason why I haven't been around lately...

I created a petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/s... to save Rocky, the "Hollywood Bear" from being put to death. Rocky is the bear that accidentally killed his handler. Rocky is a wild animal that acted as a wild animal does. He doesn't deserve to die! Please, help us save him!

Funny that this should be today's question.  To be perfectly blunt, I haven't been around lately, b/c I've been having marriage trouble.  My husband's been battling Bipolar Disorder and an addiction, for quite some time now.  The addiction problem had been going well, meaning he's been clean for nearly 6 months...until yesterday.  He's been MIA since last night, which translates to: he's on a binge.  This is where I always follow my heart.  He always shows up days, sometimes weeks, and (in 2 cases) months later, looking sick and filthy.  I, being the bleeding heart that I am, always bring him in, clean him up, and nurse him back to health...as if he's a sad, little lost puppy.  I cry with him, I pray for him, and I ultimately forgive him for his "mistake".  This time, I'm hoping that I have enough sense to do what I, in my head, know is right and turn him away to a rehab/shelter, as cruel and heartless, as my heart tells me, that may be.
This is something that no one here really knows about me, so I'll give a little history.  Until I met my husband I was a happily independent, strong-willed woman.  I had all that I needed and most of what I wanted.  Not that material wealth is that important to me, but my children having a comfortable home is extremely important to me.  Within months of our relationship, I lost everything I owned, which consisted of a van, 2 housefuls of furniture (much of which was antique), and a hefty art, book, and DVD/CD collection.  Many of our clothes and nearly all my kids' toys were either taken or left, as well.  I dismissed it all as fate, and that maybe it was time for me to let go of my wealthy roots and embrace simplicity.  The trouble with that is that the "simplicity" we were left with was a disguise for instability.
So here I am, anticipating his return and wondering if I'll be fool enough to let him back in.  What baffles me the most is that we'd just gotten to the point that the light at the end of the tunnel was so very near.  He'd just started a wonderful new job, making twice the income we've had.  His first paycheck came, he paid the rent, then he disappeared, throwing more rocks on the pile, making the end obsolete.  I guess I should be grateful that he paid the rent, but now what?  I've become domesticated, and I've lost that independent strength that I had before.  I feel small and useless. 

So, where do I follow my heart, you ask?  I follow it to loving what I should not.  I follow it straight to my doom.