I’m angry too often for my liking. Disheveled and ungroomed to be considered attractive or inspire romance as well. I resent having to share my time between kids and husband as much as they resent each other for having to share my attention. My son is to a puppy as I am to a dog’s chew toy. The toy probably smells better. So when I hear myself saying for the thousandth time “sharing means caring”, “take turns”, or “fighting means I take the toy away” I feel my blood boil and blame myself for not modelling better habits of sharing; because, honestly, I suck at sharing.

I think I’m a generous person, try to be thoughtful, but if you try to take my food I’m not understanding or happy. Interrupt my show? Not ok. Try to talk to me while I’m bathing, showering, using the toilet, sleeping, cooking, writing, reading, on the phone, in pain, or generally needing some privacy and I’m most likely going to get pissed off. I’m tired of sharing me. Ruin my clothes, they’re crap anyway, and feel free to trash my car, my body, and our furniture. But leave me my mind, please. I can’t share anymore of it or I will take up rocking in a corner as my new hobby.

Most things I’m willing to share but I just can’t share anymore of myself with people that are not important to me because the focus of my life right now are my kids so I will share a “#brelfie”. (Sidebar, I can’t stand the hashtag crap. It’s a pound sign, number sign to some of us, stop calling it something incorrect and assanine as a description of its appearance.)

Yes, this is my “#brelfie”. I fully support the use of breasts for their purpose even if my breasts refuse to accept my support against gravity’s assault on them.

I share this because I care about normalizing breastfeeding as a natural, daily act that doesn’t require comment or concern, much like: a hug, reading a book, or admiring nature. Essentially, any number of things a well adjusted, loving, intelligent person would do in a day. If someone equates nursing to using the toilet or sex one more time to me I think I’m going to start replying with the above picture because I can’t be bothered to share any more of my mental energy with such uncaring people when there’s far more important people in my life I do care about. Besides, I need time to go rock in the corner and it’s hard to take photos of myself doing that to be able to share them.

Sharing is caring which is why women share these photos, why people share anything really, it’s to express their love and selves. As much as I miss my sanity at moments, I’m willing to strain it and share myself so I can help our children feel loved and cared for. The same reason I struggled through breastfeeding for them, bottle feed them if they prefer, and put up with their finicky eating habits.

Equating nursing to relieving yourself is repulsive and says more about that person than the act of nourishing your child. There’s some adults that frankly I’d rather not see eat, breathe, laugh – well, you get the idea. Sharing is about caring. If you’re sharing your opinion to be malicious then see example “#brelfie” above and be quiet already.