Strip or no Strip !

My husband and I are both old souls !  People who meet us for the first time would never guessed it but we're quite traditional.  We know it and we've come to accept this about us. 

When a friend told me he's having his b-day party at a strip club I politely decline.  He didn't think much of it and didn't ask why, assuming I was busy.  Thing is, I never seen a stripper and I never would want to.  It's just not for me.  I'm that old school.  Whether it's men or women, I feel I devalue them when I view their body as object of entertainment or for self gratification.  The comment that it's a social thing or a "just for fun" doesn't fly with me.  But that's just me and no I don't see the need to apologize if I offended you.

My husband never been to a strip joint either.  I never asked him why, it's just it's something we both choose not to do on our own.  We never talk about it, never see the need to.  Until when we're in our mid 20s and friends one by one are getting married and guess where the stag/staggette took place ?  strip club !  that's when we started to share with each other how we feel about it !  Funny considering we're dated for so long and married for a while too.  I told him it's just a place I don't want to be in, it doesn't feel right.  He told me he feels it degrades women and he's disturbed to be in a place with a bunch of aroused men.  As a man, he told me, you cannot escape being turned on, it's how man are made.  Whether it's a naked woman on tv or on the stage, unless you're not at all interested in women, you will get aroused by it, no matter how many times you see it.  Men has to make that decission (to watch or not) by themselves.  It's something women can't understand.  For him, he doesn't want me have to go through that (knowing that he's being turned on by someone else) because those are special things we shared.  We left it as that.  I didn't care and think much of it then but as I get older, more mature and intune with myself as a woman, and now a mom of a girl, I'm very thankful for his consideration of me. 

A lot of people would disagreed with us and it's ok.  Everybody is different, every couple is different, every marriage has their own dynamics, and this is us.  We're in an open relationship where we're free to do everything we want but we choose not to do everything.  Everything is permissible but not everything is benneficial, not everything is constructive.  God gave us wisdom to choose how we want to live our life and this is our choice.  We try to live a life that is pleasing to God and to be strong role models for our children.

Being a mom, I pray Kaila will be headstrong and resist the pressure to be conformed to the environment around her.  I hope she will swim against the stream and not let the mass dictates the direction of her life.   I want her to be confident, to appreciate who she is, embrace her differences and above all, I want her to know and love God.  As I'm learning to be a parent, my goal is to love her with a tough love while proving to her that she can never loose my love.  But I know there will be areas where I will fail as a mom, I don't know everything, and will not do everything right, but I'm glad the Lord remains steadfast and true.  As long as Kaila know and trust in Him, I can rest knowing she's in good hands.