Why Have Children?
Ever experience those bathroom episodes when you get a handful of liquid body wash only to dump it on your head thinking that it was shampoo? I think I need to be more focused when showering…
Why have kids? I never really thought about it before this question was brought up by my supervisor’s supervisor. We were having a discussion along the lines of my future whether I should remain in the States or return to Malaysia once I’m done. So one of the reasons why I should return is to make sure that my parents are taken care of. That, was his argument why parents have kids in the first place…..for security later on.
So I turned to two other colleagues of mine and asked them the same question. Here are the answers and the status of the person responding:
Person A: Married man with one child.
- “Because it says in the Bible to be fruitful and multiply.”
Person B: Newly married man with no children.
- “So that I can tell them to do things for me. That’s what we do to our nephews.”
Like most people, I don’t really think about why people have kids. Do people really think so far ahead as to hope their kids will take care of them when they grow old and grey? I personally feel that that reason is pretty selfish.
I’d like to think of couples having kids as an extension of their love for one another. I heard this somewhere that when couples have so much love in between each other they can have kids to further expand their circle of love. That’s a pretty nice way to put it eh?
Of course the darker version to that answer would be kids are a great change once couples are quite tired of each others company. Then the attention can be diverted to someone else. What do you think?
Why have kids? I never really thought about it before this question was brought up by my supervisor’s supervisor. We were having a discussion along the lines of my future whether I should remain in the States or return to Malaysia once I’m done. So one of the reasons why I should return is to make sure that my parents are taken care of. That, was his argument why parents have kids in the first place…..for security later on.
So I turned to two other colleagues of mine and asked them the same question. Here are the answers and the status of the person responding:
Person A: Married man with one child.
- “Because it says in the Bible to be fruitful and multiply.”
Person B: Newly married man with no children.
- “So that I can tell them to do things for me. That’s what we do to our nephews.”
Like most people, I don’t really think about why people have kids. Do people really think so far ahead as to hope their kids will take care of them when they grow old and grey? I personally feel that that reason is pretty selfish.
I’d like to think of couples having kids as an extension of their love for one another. I heard this somewhere that when couples have so much love in between each other they can have kids to further expand their circle of love. That’s a pretty nice way to put it eh?
Of course the darker version to that answer would be kids are a great change once couples are quite tired of each others company. Then the attention can be diverted to someone else. What do you think?
posted by Mike Ng at 10:49 AM
6 Comments:
I will have children:
1) To obey God's command to be fruitful and multiply,
2) To experience the joy of parenting,
3) To experience the joy of giving since I have received so much,
4) To train up to storm the gates of Hell,
5) To give my parents the joy of grandchildren, and last but not least,
6) To love.
That was a very thought-provoking post. I liked it. How often do people think of these things? Admire the stuffing you've got between your ears, mike. ;)
It's huge responsibility to raise a child.... dunno if I'm up for that!
Yep, it's not something people talk about every day. Even my parents were stumped (for a few seconds) when I posed the question to them. Ok, dont stop to process that...just read on.
I guess in our culture it's just common to see couples having kids. If a couple has been together for a while and have nothing to show for it, many people would start jumping into conclusions. Most would point to ->Infertility<- so I guess many couples are sort of unknowingly "pressured" to have kids.
Thanks for the inputs, El and Shades.
I think there's nothing so beautiful as watching a child sleep, peaceful and serene... Today during cell group, one couple brought their daughter and she fell asleep on my sofa. Something about watching her sleep, with her long lashes gently covering her eyelids, with one tiny hand against her soft cheek, just stirred something within me... I don't know if you know what I'm talking about, but ya, just the joy of experiencing that makes me want to have children.. :)
i think it's a girl thing, angeline. :p but i do get the fuzzies when i watch sleeping babies too...reminds me of how i should be in the arms of the Almighty. "Let the little children come unto me..."
Well, you've got to remember that kids only stay that way for a number of years. Before you know it, you're disapproving of their dressing and telling them about how to finance a car. ;)
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