Am I Selfish?

Have you ever promised something to someone and then had to back out? I have and it feels awful. Yesterday, I said that I would foster a dog that was due to be put to sleep that day. Only issue – I have a toddler, another dog and no fence. When I explained my grand plans to my husband, he quickly shut me down and laid out all of the reasons why we most definitely could not take in a large mixed breed dog. What if he bit our daughter? What if he didn’t get along with our dog? What if he ran out onto our road? It took me two phone calls, but I finally mustered up the courage to back out. I do not know the fate of the dog and of course that makes me cry.
It’s like the time I told a very dear friend that she could have my eggs. (You read that right.) This friend needed an egg donor and I volunteered mine. It wasn’t until I spoke to my mom and googled “egg donor” that I learned how invasive and hard the process is. I hadn’t had my babies yet and didn’t want to risk any complications down there. When I told my friend that I couldn’t give her my eggs, she cried. But not because I wasn’t giving her my eggs anymore, but because I had truly considered it. And I had. I loved the idea of being able to help someone make their dreams come true. Unfortunately, I had to think of my dreams too.

I feel like this happens to me all of the time. I want to take in all of the stray animals, share my eggs, carry someone’s baby, and donate to every worthy cause I see on Facebook even though I don’t have any money to spare at the moment. Does the fact that I am not currently hoarding animals while being knocked up with someone else’s baby make me a selfish person? Or am I normal for thinking of myself and family first? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Let’s get the conversation started on Twitter and Facebook with #TheRightThing