uHollywood

While I find it offensive for anyone who does not know Nicole Richie (or even those who believe they do) to presume to be in a position to judge her, I’ll make an exception to my own rule about not evaluating other people for the purpose of this discussion.

There is no reason to assume that Nicole Richie doesn’t have “what it takes” to be a mother. First, she is expecting a baby – so obviously she has that much of what it takes.

Yes, she’s got quite a history when it comes to bad judgment, but how many “zillions” of other young people have the same kind of history of bad judgment? Plenty. She is, most likely, no different from any number of young people who makes bad choices before they eventually grow up (if they’re lucky enough to live to see that growing up).

She’s – what – 26 years old? That makes her years older than any number of the other young women in the world who have babies before they are even old enough for their brains to betotally developed (early- to mid-twenties). Nicole Richie has the financial means that many of today’s young mothers don’t; and if anyone believes that financial stability doesn’t help they’re deluded.

Ms. Richie has the financial means not only to provide for her baby, but to get help caring for it if she wants or needs that. If it turns out she needs some parenting advice she has the money to purchase the best advice and information that money can buy.

Based on her recent interview with Diane Sawyer, it is clear that she has 1) either straightened herself out and decided to do what is healthy or 2) been willing to listen to others who have instructed her on cleaning up her image. If she has decided to straighten up then she’ll do what is right. If she’s listening to what others tell her she should be doing then she’ll most likely be willing to listen when it comes to what she should be doing with a baby as well.

For every young woman who messes up in her youth and never straightens upthere are severalothers who mess up in their youth but straighten up when a baby arrives, and they realize things aren’t a large joke any longer.

Based on what I’ve seen in supermarkets, on television, and any number of other places; the world is full of moms who could do betterat loving their child, respecting their child, nurturing their child, talking to their child, and even providing for their child. In other words, there are probably more moms than not who would not get an A-Plus in “what it takes”. Strangers who presume to have the right to an opinion about Nicole Richie’s mothering potential should really be spending their energy asking about whether their own needs some improvement.

As for Nicole Richie, like every other mother-to-be, she has her child and her life ahead of her. What she does as aMom will decide whether she has “what it takes”. It is silly for anyone to make guesses about what she’ll be as a mother, and it is always wrong to assume there is no chance someone will do quite well as whatever it is they’re about to do. Maybe “The World” ought to consider leaving Nicole Richie alone and giving her a chance tobe the kind ofMom she probably hopes to be.