Making a Stand

For those of you that don't know, I self-published a book recently. It is a compilation of family traditions that is intended as a resource for families--similar to a baby name book--you browse through it and pick traditions that sound fun to implement in your family.

Anyway, I started this book several years ago, but got discouraged with the project. When my friend told me about the Stand for the Family Symposium, I decided to write a proposal about my book for it. And they accepted it--so I had to finish my book.

It never occurred to me that by participating in the symposium I would be making a stand. I honestly did not know when I applied to the symposium that its main purpose is to promote the preservation of the traditional family with the traditional definition of marriage. My book's appearance in this symposium shows support for that political view. (I personally espouse that political view, so that is ok with me)

I realized that when I read the following message from a friend. I spammed all of my friends, asking them to share their traditions with me so I could finish the book. This was her reply:

Dear Sabrina
While I wish you the best of luck in pursuing your passions and participating fully in this conference, I cannot offer my family traditions to, or support, the Stand for the Family Symposium.
Respectfully,
*name has been omitted

I read that and was struck. At first I had no idea what would cause her to not support the symposium. Then I realized that defining marriage as only between a man and a woman goes against her personal beliefs about government, and that the symposium therefore would oppose her viewpoint. And when I made that connection, I was impressed. She could have ignored my message and not replied. After all, I wasn't even writing to her personally--it was a group message. She could have shared her family traditions with me (or ignored my message) without going to the symposium's website to find out what it was about. But that's not what she did. She did a little research to find out the symposium's position, and then, instead of remaining quiet and passive, she wrote me back. And she did so in the most respectful way possible. In fact, she didn't even say why she could not offer her support to the symposium--I figured that out myself. But she raised her voice and let her lack of support known. She made a stand.

How many times could I have made a similar stand on something I believe in, but chose to say nothing? I am filled with respect and admiration for my friend's activeness and integrity in supporting what she believes. I feel inspired to do the same. When something goes against my personal values, I want to say something, and let my lack of support known. Similarly, I want to show my support to causes and projects and laws whose values I agree with.