Paying for Experience Instead of Family

Some stores sell goods. Some sell services. Starbucks sells an “experience”.

Ok, when did we get so deprived of real experiences that a cup of coffee is considered a thrill? And when did we get to where we are willing to pay for new “experiences” all the while crying that we cannot afford children?

I submit that people who have larger families do not need such experiences. When you have a bunch of kids who depend on you, you work harder. You see and experience things you cannot imagine you’d enjoy if you look at them from the outside. You learn things about yourself that you’d never imagine were there TO learn. And you find more in yourself than you’d ever find bungie jumping.

Parenting takes patience, time, courage, wisdom, and perseverance.  No travel tour can substitute for that.

It is sad to me that people are running around looking for “fulfillment”, and “life”, and “meaning”, all the while running away from marriage and family. It is a catch-22. The further you run, the more you feel you have to get away. Conversely, the more you immerse yourself in the good of it, the less you feel like you need to be elsewhere.

It takes courage to admit to your teen that you made a mistake. It is exhilarating watching a baby laugh for the first time, or take their first steps. It is oh, so fulfilling when a child stops in their day to hug you just because you are Mom. And love, after 25 years of marriage, is even better than it is at 20… if you let it be! There is the challenge of teaching a kid to drive, and the triumph of helping them overcome a particularly difficult obstacle.

Ain’t nuthin’ that can compare to this.