The ode

Some people forget (or simply don't know) that most babies have androgyny faces, because every part of their faces are still developing. This is the reason why people feel they need to differentiate their baby's looks. So people recognise what gender their baby is. Sometimes they differentiate the gender with color coding clothes or many times by giving the baby girl a pair of earrings.

This is what happen to La Luna. She looks different everyday. Sometimes she looks girly, most of the times she looks boyish. This what made some people who met her thought she was a boy. Then they asked me why she didn't wear any earrings since she was a girl.

I mostly responded them with a glimpse of smile. If I am in a good mood to explain, I answered them with an empathy answer like "I'm a soft mama, I cannot stand her cry when she was being pierced." Not really an explaining answer, if they realise. It was even a lie.

Actually, it was more than that.

Ariawan and I decided not to pierce her as our respect to her body. We don't want to make eternal physical scar on her, a fait accompli, something she might regret when she grows up for something she did not do or did not wanted. It is an ode to her choice, that she has every choices in life and she should be responsible for what she chooses. It is a promise from us, her parents, that we will only be her supporter and not the decision maker.

So, my dear baby girl La Luna, it is a promise.
Please remind me if I forget it someday.