Carved by 9-year-old grandson.

What’s with all this political rhetoric about family values? Since everyone comes from a family, everyone has family values. Reading between the lines, I think the use of family values means my family values. Since I’ve noticed that it is used mostly by the religious right my suspicion here is that it means – a mother, a father, children.

I cannot get behind that vision. My vision of family values has to do with love, togetherness, care, concern, role modeling, support, communication, honored boundaries, fun, play, joy, happiness, security, love, friendship,  sharing, etc. That being said, you can easily see that I don’t define families or for that matter, marriage as a place that can only have a man, a woman and children. I see all the requisite components of love and family in many places and many families – no matter the sex of the adults or children. (So I will be voting NO on Prop 8 in California come Tuesday.)

But tonight I’m valuing my family and going trick or treating with my son, my grandson and my daughter-in-law. I might even rustle up a costume! If I do and I can get someone to take a picture, maybe I’ll post it. Happy Halloween! Enjoy a family – yours, mine or some loving group!

Carved by my son.