Thankful November

I've been reflecting this month on my blessings, which is easy to do when you spend several hours a day holding a precious baby girl and the other hours living life through the eyes of a two year old. Of course I have many wonderful blessings, most of all my two beautiful daughters who teach me more about my Heavenly Father's love than I ever thought possible and my amazing, supportive husband who is still my best friend and favorite person to be around. Aside from the "regular" blessings on my list I came up with one that I hadn't really thought about, or necessarily counted as a blessing before.

Today on Facebook, a friend of mine from high school posted THIS video. She also made this comment. "I do not watch Glee. I did the first season and made excuses for some of the content because I liked the musical aspect of it. During the second season I realized I was making excuses for a show that was bringing things into my home that I knew were against my values and beliefs. I made the decision to stop watching it. I read on the news what last night's episode was about and I think it is so destructive to teens (and adults) that are watching this show that promotes teen sex like it does. I am speaking out against this show because I think it is destructive and has a hidden agenda. I think it's time to stand up for what I believe in, in a world that seems so distant from my values. Here is a movie of 6 teens from 6 different faiths that have chosen to be sexually pure. These are the kind of people I look up to....NOT the teens portrayed on Glee." 

The episode she was referring to was called "First Time"  and as you can imagine it was about two couples (one heterosexual one homosexual) having sex for the first time. Now I'm not going to get into Glee. I loved Glee the first season. I thought it was awkward the second season. I've seen some of the third season, but I made the decision to give it up completely after hearing what this last episode was about. Not that I'm perfect with the shows I watch, or that sexual content in films, books, and TV really bothers me all that much. My big problem with Glee is that 1) It is targeted to teens who, lets face it, are insecure, or not really sure where they want their life to go...kind of like a plastic bag floating in the wind and that the messages Glee tells them aren't necessarily going to help them much. Then 2) I don't like that Glee tells you it's ok to be gay, straight, drunk, handicap, talented, different, any race, etc. but it is NOT ok to be pure...being pure is old fashioned, outdated, and unrealistic. I think it is important for teens to be given a place to express themselves, to feel loved for whoever they are and for their challenges no matter what, but when you exclude purity, and just being a "good" kid I don't think it's ok. 


ANYWAY. That's not what this post is even about. This post is about the fact that my friend Stacie posted that, and that I realized how lucky and blessed I was to be surrounded by people like Stacie, and my friend Stephanie, and Breanna, and Lisa, and Sarah, and several others that were maybe not necessarily my best friends (more like the school friends that you enjoy spending time with but not a lot of outside of school activities) but people I really respected, who were kind to everyone and accepted everyone for who they were without compromising their own standards. I really hope my daughters are able to be surrounded by people who a) can influence them to be better, the best they can be and b) accept them for their flaws and shortcomings without judgment (because lets face it, I was NOT the perfect person and had a lot of shortcomings). So thanks to those girls who were really a light in my life and helped shape me into a better person. I was lucky to be surrounded by good influences when I wasn't necessarily always on par with where I should have been.