On the margins

I once heard a speaker say : "People marginalize others in order to normalize their own experience." She was speaking specifically of the politics of breastfeeding in order to help explain the resistance to public breastfeeding. Only a small percentage of women breastfeed past a few weeks in our culture. In order to normalize bottle feeding, we have marginalized breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding a baby was once considered normal, if not necessary. This normal biological function has turned into something radical in our society. Slowly, over the last century, the formula industry has convinced us that bottle feeding is 'normal'. For some people it is. I think everyone should be allowed to have their own normal. So, why did my choice have to be marginalized?
In a previous church, I ran into conflict with people who were offended by my nursing a baby during the church service. Eventually, the senior warden reminded everyone that there was a law protecting this. The interesting thing is that I had helped with that piece of legislation, not knowing I would need it one day. I guess the sacred act of nourishing a baby at the breast, as talked about in the Psalms, was not enough to overcome the margins. I needed a law.
I feel like much of my parenting life has been relegated to the margins. It has been a struggle to defend my decisions over and over and over. I have no desire to push other people's parenting to the margins. Why must I live there? Why must others insist on pushing me away in order to normalize themselves? Why does it matter? It helps me find compassion for those who remained in the herd in order to avoid the margins. It is a difficult place to live, even if I feel confident about my decisions.
Every once in awhile, I am given a glimpse into my own choices being placed squarely in the norms of society. It adds a bit of balm to the hurt places I have felt. This picture of the new Pope Francis is beautiful. It is an example of breastfeeding being seen as normal, and sacred.