Guilt

I could call every single post guilt, but I won't, this will be the last. I come from a culture of guilt, I also have guilt by nature,and I am realizing that we live in a guilt-producing culture (which by my definition of guilt is not possible, since guilt is something created by the individual. It is also fully controllable and we choose to feel guilty - why? - I think it eases our guilt!). I am speaking about parenting of course. I even feel guilty for feeling guilty, knowing that babies pick up on everything, I don't want to be teaching guilt. But there you go! I am learning and practicing to let go of all of that. If you truly live in the moment guilt does not exist, because guilt implies there are future consequences of past or present occurrences.

Here is the list of things I feel guilty about every day:

Heating up baby food in the microwave
Occasionally giving water in a plastic cup
Feeding baby cheerios
Feeding baby non-organic meat
Not eating enough vegetables
Not eating only organic while breastfeeding
Not taking vitamins
Not exercising
Breastfeeding baby to sleep 3 times a day
Putting baby to bed late even though she won't go to bed early
Not cooking enough for baby (who hardly eats anything anyway, which of course is my fault)
Not accomplishing enough outside the home
Not keeping the house clean
Not cooking enough
Not reading enough
Using portable phones
Using a computer
Watching TV
Vaccinating baby


Wow, that is a long list. All easily solvable by either doing the things I feel guilty about not doing, or not caring.

Ok, now that it is written down, and so is my resolution, the guilt is over. There that was easy.

Who hasn't read the conflicting advice, I read too much. I thought I had a philosophy, now I have learned that the rigidness of a philosophy is absurd and damaging. Now I have a philosophy of no philosophy, and no judgment.

I have learned not to judge, but this came late in life and after having events shoved in my face. But now every time I open my mouth to say something judgmental or to gossip I imagine it is being said about me, and I stop.
I stop