(from Fall Fundraising 2019 Newsletter #4)
…there are so many things to love besides one’s own offspring, so many things that need love, so much other work love has to do in the world.
– Rebecca Solnit, from The Mother of All Questions
We unpacked our tagline one sentence at a time in our previous letters, and in this last letter, we’ll wrap it up by adding context and perspective. (You can catch up here on “be with,” “be a witness,” and “be in relationship.”)
Why did we choose our tagline and why are we focusing on it now? We emphasize “be with, be a witness, be in relationship” not because it encompasses everything, but because it represents what we feel is out of balance.
We’ve made it part of our mission at Babies Project to advocate for a perspective that we believe is potent yet under-articulated and undervalued in our society. It’s our intention to bring our philosophy, principles, training and experience as resources to meet each caregiver and baby where they are.
It’s in these meetings that our theory gets checked by reality. We’re constantly learning from each baby we meet and from our conversations with parents and caregivers who let us know when we edge into idealism or dogma.
We don’t have children; we’re not parents. As much as we love babies, we aren’t doing this because we’re unfulfilled or wish our lives had turned out differently. This, Babies Project, is the work our love is doing in the world.
In part because we’re not parents, we can hold the big picture of philosophy, ideas and ideals as we meet individual families who are holding the specifics and day-to-day responsibilities of caring for their unique baby(s). We love every baby we meet, but we’re not attached to or “in love” with them, and that helps us hold the big picture. In this way, we help parents and caregivers who value our perspective figure out how the big picture might translate for the small picture of them and their baby.
Will you make a donation to Babies Project so we can continue to advocate for a better world for babies and the people who love them?
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