How do you see it?

 image from Stencil-- does it relate to the blog? Must it?

I wrote this before the debate Thursday night. I will let it go because it's about how people tend to trust social and mainstream media without researching. I might later write more about the debate next week or maybe not lol...

The United States had been embroiled in a kerfuffle, which might seem minor but maybe matters more than it could seem. One thing that I believe is part of the problem goes beyond the words said and ends up with interpretations of what it was supposed to mean. It actually goes back many years to earlier such arguments about family makeup and responsibilities. 

This is now not much of a story, as so often happens, big deals end up buried under new big deals (which will also disappear with a bit of time). But to start this blog, I want to share the original words from Harrison Butker at the graduation ceremony at a Catholic College, St. Benedictine, that tipped this all off, then some thoughts I have on the whole topic. As I expand on my own thinking, I hope you will refer back to this for your own thoughts.

 "For the ladies present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.

I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. I'm on the stage today and able to be the man I am because I have a wife who leans into her vocation. I'm beyond blessed with the many talents God has given me, but it cannot be overstated that all of my success is made possible because a girl I met in band class back in middle school would convert to the faith, become my wife, and embrace one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.

She is a primary educator to our children. She is the one who ensures I never let football or my business become a distraction from that of a husband and father. She is the person that knows me best at my core, and it is through our marriage that, Lord willing, we will both attain salvation.

I say all of this to you because I have seen it firsthand how much happier someone can be when they disregard the outside noise and move closer and closer to God's will in their life. Isabelle's dream of having a career might not have come true, but if you asked her today if she has any regrets on her decision, she would laugh out loud, without hesitation, and say, “Heck, No.'"

If someone has been following this subject, you already know the way the words have been distorted to suggest he doesn't value women getting an education. Some have said he tells women they should stay home with their babies. In my reading of that, he didn't say that either. I think he wanted them to look for possible alternatives to work outside the home and expressed how important it has been to his family, again in his opinion.

When he refers to his wife's role as a vocation, he is giving homemaking a seriousness that it doesn't always get-- and that is true whether the parents also have outside vocations. To see homemaking as a lot more than dusting furniture... or not, gives it importance that deserves respect when done well.

More on this coming eventually  (not sure when) as when I first thought of it, I hadn't thought how complex it really was and blogs should not get too long. The main point here was how original words ended up distorted on many topics.

Oh and one more thing. This is Ranch Boss's birthday. Happy birthday to a great husband, father to our kids, caring grandfather, and to his parents. Actually, he's a good guy all the way around, even if we do sometimes get in an argument *s*