privilege.

Privilege

It’s a hot topic these days.

But, in all honesty, everyone is missing the point.

Privilege is real – in so many ways.

But it seems most focus on the ways in which privilege benefits others without taking a moment to focus on how privilege benefits themselves.

Privilege is real in my life…and I won’t apologize for that.

I’m privileged for many reasons, and I don’t take them for granted.

Privilege is right now, for instance. Right now I’m sitting on my pool deck enjoying the cup of coffee my husband poured me while I write. It’s 7:30 on a Monday morning. I’m wearing my comfy clothes. My house is quiet because my husband is driving our sixth grade twins and our freshman daughter to school like he does every morning before he returns home to sit down in his own office for the day. Our oldest daughter is still asleep upstairs because she’s a senior in high school who only has to be on campus for cheer practice – she’s a full-time college student and her classes don’t start until later.

My biggest concern for the day is what to have for dinner, and whether I should finish up the work I have on my to-do list before or after I head to the gym this morning.

Privilege is being able to take our dog on a long, leisurely walk around our beautiful neighborhood each morning.

Privilege is getting to sit in the pick-up line at the middle school every afternoon bitching about the fact that everyone else is a moron and why is it so hard for them to correctly use a line.

Privilege is being able to attend all of our daughter’s golf matches together even though they’re at like 2 pm in places like Orlando and whatnot on random weekdays.

Privilege is responding ‘yes,’ when my girlfriends text me to see if I want to go to lunch on a Tuesday afternoon.

Privilege is many things, but most people are so focused on the privilege of others that they don’t bother focusing on their own.

Or they’re too busy focused on the big things that they hae no idea how much in life they have to appreciate.

Imagine this – instead of focusing on how fortunate I am to have a husband who wants to drive our non-driving children to school every morning leaving me to enjoy the peace and quiet of a slow morning at home despite being a stay-at-home-mom, I could be focused on how he doesn’t pick them up in the afternoons (though he would if I asked) and I have to fight the pick-up line.

Imagine if I looked at walking our dog like a chore rather than something I get to do with her – enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of each season while we spend some time together every morning.

Imagine if I focused on the annoyance of middle of the afternoon golf matches at far away country clubs rather than the beauty of never asking someone else for permission to spend my time cheering her on.

Imagine if I spent my time focused on what’s bigger or better or what someone else has in their life rather than focusing on all the privileges I have in mine.

It sounds awful.

It sounds awful to focus so hard on what everyone else gets to experience in their own privilege that I can’t focus on my own.

It sounds lonely and sad.

And I’m glad that’s not where I live.

(though I will admit that I often focus on what a privilege is must be for parents whose children have chosen indoor sports to play as we sit dying of heat on a golf cart at 2 pm in august in Florida or in packed bleachers on Friday nights in august in Florida or on the sidelines of flag football games midday in the summer heat in Florida…that privilege sounds lovely. Thanks, kids, for all choosing outdoor sports that only run in summer months. What a privilege)