Finding the silver lining

[KaylaBeanie]

Well, my bro and SIL just had a baby boy last week (the first in the family). I got to hold him when he was an hour old, he was absolutely gorgeous and perfect. Then they got him circumcised, and it was really hard emotionally to deal with (the few friends I have who've had kids are either non-circ or had girls). 

Well, I'm now on vacation with my parents and 18 year old sister, and it launched an excellent conversation. Both of my parents (mom isn't my brother's mom, dad was working out-of-state when brother was born so was never involved in his circ) said that they would never circumcise given what they know, my sister went from being relatively ignorant on the subject to vocally opposed and my parents said they're really happy that the rest of their grandsons (bro and SIL are most likely done) will be intact.

It just sucks that it took such a sad thing to change hearts. I can't imagine looking at a perfect baby and doing that to him. I know it's currently their legal choice, society views it as "no big deal", blah blah blah. I've been opposed to the practice since I found out what it was, but this was my first time ever being around it and it was just...really, really hard. Way more emotionally draining than I ever imagined. I knew you lovely ladies (and gents) would understand 

[mama24-7]

  IT is really hard.  I've had to thoroughly distance myself from these sorts of situations.  As in, when my sheeple SIL had her twin boys, I told dh I didn't want to know when they were going home from the NICU becuase then I'd know when they were being cut.  A woman I was friendly w/ had her son cut then wanted to come over to visit.  I told her not to because all I would have thought about what that while she was here.  When there are people I know having boys, I try not to know or read about when they were born because I have a physical reaction to it & my life doesn't lend itself to my being incapacitated by events I have no control over.  I know not everyone thinks that this is a good course of action, but it is what I need to do to preserve myself.

I think the fact that your parents are now saying that they would not do the same thing if they had it to do over again could be huge.  I think people saying they've made a mistake & they'd do differently now could be huge in keeping others from making the same mistake.  If possible, I'd encourage them to discuss this w/ future parents, whether or not they are related.  It can be touchy, but I think a big part of why this terrible practice continues is because people are afraid to discuss it for fear of offending, because it's private, it's talking about a penis, it's a personal decision, etc., etc., etc.,

Sus