I'm still nomail, but stopped by for a Lactnet archive visit and noticed the advocacy posts. I decided to share again some thoughts I've shared before here on Lactnet...

Many breastfeeding advocates are also the mothers of young children. They must very carefully choose how they will spend their time, energy, and resources. When a breastfeeding advocate who is actively mothering young children chooses (or appears to choose) to *not* actively engage in advocacy on any particular topic it does not automatically mean that she won't choose to do so in the future and it does not automatically mean that she finds that topic unworthy of advocacy. Her most effective and most important advocacy for the moment is actually currently happening in the context of her mothering: she is, within the human limits of her time and energy, advocating for the well-being of her children. This advocacy helps build a better world for all of us. And, even if a breastfeeding advocate has no children or her/his children are grown, that does not mean that she/he can or should engage in advocacy on any particular topic. She/he is the best judge of how to best use her/his time, energy, resources and talents within the context of her/his own life.

In an earlier post, I described an analogy I heard somewhere. It goes something like this: A waitress needs to know what her tables are. If she tries to serve too many people at a time, she will serve none well. The fact that she only serves certain tables does not mean that she doesn't care about the people at other tables. It means she recognizes the limits of her time, energy, and resources.

There are many, many, many "tables worth serving" in the context of breastfeeding advocacy, in the context of family advocacy, and in the context of advocacy in the wider world. I respect each individual's right to dynamically determine which table(s) she or he can serve when in a variety of circumstances that change throughout her or his lifetime.

Warmly (and missing Lactnet),

Cynthia

Cynthia Good Mojab, MS, IBCLC, RLC, breastfeeding advocate, mother of a young child
Ammawell
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~ammawell
Email: [log in to unmask]
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