Don't Worry, Mommy

I read this Dan Savage article at lunch today, and I cried. 

The It Gets Better Project is about hope.  The article and the videos are messages of hope and futures and the-best-is-yet-to-come.  And I understand that and appreciate those that participated in this project.  But as I read the article and thought about Justin & Billy while simultaneously feeling my little guy kick and flip, I could not help crying. 

As I prepare for my new role as a mother, I find myself feeling these stories on a much deeper level than before.  I consider the possibilities in a much different way.  What if I (God Forbid, Knock On Wood, Shut Your Mouth) discovered my child as Justin & Billy's Mothers did?  What if my kid is bullied or picked on or beat up?  What if my kid is the one doing the bullying?  What if I can't protect him from this cruel world?  What if I protect him too much?  What if, what if, what if?

Along with a brand new name, this little worrywort has a whole new list of worries.