My Husband's Wisdom

My spouse is a lot wiser than I on most occasions. I think the wisest thing I've ever heard him say is that we don't need to enact permanant solutions to temporary problems. You don't give away a dog because he's peed on the rug. You don't quit your job if you've had one bad day. You don't cut off your arm if you've burned your finger.

I've been reflecting on that a lot lately, especially in the context of our current issues. Repeating it like a mantra helps me realise both the temporary nature of our current woes and the fact that there will be adequate solutions coming.

I'm also thinking about it as it relates to the conversations around the blogosphere regarding abortion in the wake of Campfield's buffoonery. I'm turning the issue over in my head and bouncing it against my Temporary Problem/Permanent Solution mantra. It's made me more confused than ever.

Is an unwanted pregnancy a temporary problem? Is there any solution to unwanted pregnancy that isn't permanent? I honestly don't think I have the answer. Part of me would be tempted to say that yes, an unwanted pregnancy is a temporary problem in that the baby can be given up for adoption at birth. The more I think about it, though, the more it seems like an unwanted pregnancy is a cluster of temporary and permanent problems. Trying to narrow it down to ONE problem--the baby--is unwise. So maybe talking about the solution in terms of that one problem--the baby--is unwise as well. I think that's what frustrates me about both sides of the abortion debate. When you distill it down to the issue of the baby it's clearly a one-problem issue. But it's never just about the baby. Ever. There are financial, emotional and physical considerations as well. Every pregnancy is a unique set of problems/challenges/opportunities and trying to evaluate a uniform response seems impossible to me.