Karen and Sarah got me thinking... It all started because of a French book where the author, a mother of two, writes a about regretting having the children in the first place.
In His divine sense of the humour, God brings good out of everything. I see a chain reaction of blog-reading motherly hearts pondering on the wonderful aspects of having and raising children. And isn't this sort of thing exactly what we need sometimes, to renew our purpose, and encourage our way of life?
My early morning Rosary helped me with my own 40 reasons:
1. Parenthood makes us better people.
2. Childbirth is an amazing, miraculous experience.
3. Breastfeeding.
4. Baby's breath.
5. Baby's clothes.
6. Taking baby to Mass for the first time. Pure joy.
7. Afternoon naps on the couch with baby.
8. Intellectual growth due to all the reading we do while breastfeeding.
9. Rediscovering each time your husband's qualities as a father.
10. Baptism!
11. The thrill of seeing them learning to walk.
12. The thrill of seeing them learning to talk.
13. Recording their first words and expressions.
14. Visits with grandparents.
15. Reading wonderfully illustrated toddler books.
16. Building with wooden blocks with them.
17. Praying with young children.
18. Allowing them to begin helping around the house.
19. Listening to their many words, stories and songs from the car seat while driving.
20. Library storytime.
21. The advent of their "age of reason".
22. Enjoying their new world unfolded by their newly reading skills.
23. Selecting great reading materials.
24. Homeschool catalogs filled with great stuff!
25. The pride of their first chapter book.
26. First Confession and Holy Communion!
27. Celebrating their birthdays and saints' feastdays.
28. The joys of their childhood friendships.
29. First adventures in the kitchen.
30. Watching them grow in their many activities: soccer, drama, ballet, art.
31. The advent of adolescence: contrary to popular belief, it is exhilarating!
32. Sons and their height: the pride of being taller than mom comes with God-driven protective, loving and serviceable attitude. Daughters and nurturing: seeing them stepping into educators' roles with younger siblings.
33. Listening to their first troubles and the learning-from-mistakes.
34. Confirmation!
35. A whole new dimension of prayer life as they begin driving.
36. Going through prayerful decisions with them about school and colleges.
37. Enjoying the friends they bring home!
38. Receiving their college emails and welcoming them home for breaks.
39. Finding in your own adult children some of the best company you have ever had.
40. The sweet, grace-full realization that "I would do it all over again".
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
That is just beautiful! I found myself nodding along and smiling at each one... yes, that's right, yes, another good one!
I could have written every single one of those. Well said Ana!
And some day you will add the many, many joys of grandparenting!
I wrote in another list today how these just jumped out of my mind this morning after prayer-- just like that. Also the idea of separating them into the four stages of life made it easier to come up up with them. Fun! Carolyn, I have no doubt I will enjoy grandmother-hood!!
great list, Ana!
Fantastic list, Ana! Beautiful. I agree that it's so gratifying to see the chain reaction taking place. :-)
Great list. I got a huge kick out of this one...
" A whole new dimension of prayer life as they begin driving."
:)
Loved your 40 reasons--couldn't agree more!
Thanks again Karen for starting this!
I have met so many people who stop me on the street to tell me how they regret not having more children... but not telling me they regret having children!
Oh, what a beautiful list! :)
Wonderful list!
Awww, this is such a lovely list, Ana ... I almost cried after reading it.
So poignant and beautiful!!
Dear Mrs Braga-Henebry,
I was looking at your blog, and just had to tell you how much i loved your 40 reasons to have children!
It was beautiful.
love,
Rachel
I just found this 40-project and have been browsing others' after writing my own.
As a mother of young children I *love* hearing reasons related to aspects of later points in childrearing. I am determined to be excited about every stage, but I hear so many voices urging fear that I savor voices like yours.
Thanks so much.
Thanks, Amy Jane! Yes, talking and learning from people who were loving their many children was very helpful to me when I seemed to be constantly pregnant, or nursing a baby, or both!
Post a Comment