Bodily Fluids

I am sitting here breastfeeding my infant son and I am struck by a strange thought.

We are taught from a very early age that ANYTHING that comes out of or off of the human body is completely disgusting. From loose hairs to toenails, from crusty gunk in your eyes to toe jam, blood, sweat and tears. Gross, right? Well, not only is this precious child sucking fluid from my body, I think it is a wonderful and amazing thing. I am feeling sad because I am going to have to wean him soon.

It is some kind of intellectual disconnect. I am having a hard time reconciling the two concepts.

When we are young we have to be taught basic hygiene, in order to preserve our health. Sometimes it is hard to teach the right message. The proof of that is in how funny most of society thinks fart and toilet jokes are. Since we are most likely to try and laugh at what we fear. In order to learn to take hygiene seriously we learn to fear it. I only pray I can teach my children the right message. I know that I am having a horrible time with my oldest, but that is probably just because she is far, far too much like me.