Are children still a "blessing"?

[OutinChgoburbs]

They are a blessing, blessing, blessing and don’ you ever furgit it!

 

[Blade_and_Blood]

One would assume so, but if we look at the "modern’ cultural reaction to pregnancy, you wonder. Here is an interesting discussion of the topic: a-modern-manger-scene

What do you think?

I believe children are still a blessing. If only people–teens especially–were a little more responsible and a little less selfish with their bodies, that might be realized.

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood

 

[jwatza]

Children are always a blessing! I had a woman tell me she was sorry for me because I had 8 boys, she said she had 2 boys and that was enough. Well, she doesn’t need to feel sorry for me–I feel sorry for her 2 boys who she doesn’t fully appreciate!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children born in one’s youth.
Blessed are they whose quivers are full.
They will never be shamed
contending with foes at the gate.

I like this a lot. A lot. And I thank the poster who initially posted it. It’s neat, and it’s how I feel about my children and grandchildren.
But I know I can’t say it nearly that well. But I am going to try to say how I see this.

In no way do I disparage those who feel they cannot afford children. Perhaps some cannot. But many more can than do, and I marvel at it.

I suppose you could say my parents “skipped their own lives” to have, educate and raise myself and my siblings. They had some major financial ups and downs, but did manage to even leave us some land. That was about it. Some land.

My wife and I had more children than we “should have” and, I guess, have “skipped our own lives” too. We have acquired some assets (not looking so good right now, though), put our children through school, and all that. We have turned many of our assets over to our children while they are still (because we’re still living) slow to squander them. Some of my siblings, including myself, have added modestly to the land we inherited. The kids and grandkids work on it in their spare time (as I do) , and we have, through two generations, (and it took two) raised some fairly good timber and cattle. I hoped they woudl be good stewards, as my parents hoped we would be, and, so far, I think they are. I think they see the timber and the cattle the way my parents did and the way my siblings and I do. They are there to be taken care of, and to take care of any of us that is ever in trouble; in truly dire need. In some ways, it’s like having your own bank that nobody ever borrows from, but is there if someone has to.

I agree with those who view children as a gift of God. They are. They are souls fully entrusted to us; a remarkable thing to think about. But one thing I think people might consider in a purely practical sense is the fact that because of the low birth rate and the profligacy of government, there is really no certitude that we will not, in our old age, be dependent on those children. If, during our lifetimes, we have given everything to them in terms of rearing, faith and training in stewardship, they might well be the ones who save our bacon. People shoudl think about that, and about the lessons in generosity or selfishness they are giving their children.

I had the rare good fortune to be able, as an adult, to obtain a pension for my father; one he could not get for himself. I learned a particular business particularly well and invested for my parents and made my mother comfortable after my father died.

Long ago, older people as well as children, were dependent on people in their strongest years. Old people tended garden and children while the strong young ones plowed, sowed, reaped, cooked, sewed and canned. Things are different now, and I know that. But they’re not as different as we often think. Generations now think of themselves as “autonomous”. We see older people squander money on new cars and RVs and expensive vacations while their adult children struggle and, oftentimes, do not feel themselves able to have children of their own. And then, when disability comes, the older ones’ assets dwindle because of the cost of the services they increasingly need, and they get tucked away in nursing homes and never see their children, let alone their grandchildren.

There is something profoundly wrong with the way generations are arranged nowadays.

We’ll see how it all turns out for us. But even if our children never do anything for us, it will be reward enough to know they’re alive and that they have children.

I received an astounding gift from my grandchildren this past Christmas. Somehow they (aged 14, 11, 10, 8, 8, 6 and 4.) learned the old Spanish Christmas song “Riu Riu Chiu” and sang it in post-Renaissance Spanish and in round. (Google it. It will astonish you too.) They even turned out the lights and lit the traditional candle and blew it out at the end, as it was traditional to do centuries ago. I was utterly astonished. Floored! It was their Christmas gift to me. No trinkets. I didn’t get any of those. But what could they have possibly bought me that could have equaled that? What could I have bought myself?

Maybe the above only makes good sense to me.

 

[happymommy]

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children born in one’s youth.
Blessed are they whose quivers are full.
They will never be shamed
contending with foes at the gate.

I like this a lot. A lot. And I thank the poster who initially posted it. It’s neat, and it’s how I feel about my children and grandchildren.
But I know I can’t say it nearly that well. But I am going to try to say how I see this.

In no way do I disparage those who feel they cannot afford children. Perhaps some cannot. But many more can than do, and I marvel at it.

I suppose you could say my parents “skipped their own lives” to have, educate and raise myself and my siblings. They had some major financial ups and downs, but did manage to even leave us some land. That was about it. Some land.

My wife and I had more children than we “should have” and, I guess, have “skipped our own lives” too. We have acquired some assets (not looking so good right now, though), put our children through school, and all that. We have turned many of our assets over to our children while they are still (because we’re still living) slow to squander them. Some of my siblings, including myself, have added modestly to the land we inherited. The kids and grandkids work on it in their spare time (as I do) , and we have, through two generations, (and it took two) raised some fairly good timber and cattle. I hoped they woudl be good stewards, as my parents hoped we would be, and, so far, I think they are. I think they see the timber and the cattle the way my parents did and the way my siblings and I do. They are there to be taken care of, and to take care of any of us that is ever in trouble; in truly dire need. In some ways, it’s like having your own bank that nobody ever borrows from, but is there if someone has to.

I agree with those who view children as a gift of God. They are. They are souls fully entrusted to us; a remarkable thing to think about. But one thing I think people might consider in a purely practical sense is the fact that because of the low birth rate and the profligacy of government, there is really no certitude that we will not, in our old age, be dependent on those children. If, during our lifetimes, we have given everything to them in terms of rearing, faith and training in stewardship, they might well be the ones who save our bacon. People shoudl think about that, and about the lessons in generosity or selfishness they are giving their children.

I had the rare good fortune to be able, as an adult, to obtain a pension for my father; one he could not get for himself. I learned a particular business particularly well and invested for my parents and made my mother comfortable after my father died.

Long ago, older people as well as children, were dependent on people in their strongest years. Old people tended garden and children while the strong young ones plowed, sowed, reaped, cooked, sewed and canned. Things are different now, and I know that. But they’re not as different as we often think. Generations now think of themselves as “autonomous”. We see older people squander money on new cars and RVs and expensive vacations while their adult children struggle and, oftentimes, do not feel themselves able to have children of their own. And then, when disability comes, the older ones’ assets dwindle because of the cost of the services they increasingly need, and they get tucked away in nursing homes and never see their children, let alone their grandchildren.

There is something profoundly wrong with the way generations are arranged nowadays.

We’ll see how it all turns out for us. But even if our children never do anything for us, it will be reward enough to know they’re alive and that they have children.

I received an astounding gift from my grandchildren this past Christmas. Somehow they (aged 14, 11, 10, 8, 8, 6 and 4.) learned the old Spanish Christmas song “Riu Riu Chiu” and sang it in post-Renaissance Spanish and in round. (Google it. It will astonish you too.) They even turned out the lights and lit the traditional candle and blew it out at the end, as it was traditional to do centuries ago. I was utterly astonished. Floored! It was their Christmas gift to me. No trinkets. I didn’t get any of those. But what could they have possibly bought me that could have equaled that? What could I have bought myself?

Maybe the above only makes good sense to me.

What a beautiful gift! You are truly blessed!

 

[Galnextdoor]

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children born in one’s youth.
Blessed are they whose quivers are full.
They will never be shamed
contending with foes at the gate.

I like this a lot. A lot. And I thank the poster who initially posted it. It’s neat, and it’s how I feel about my children and grandchildren.
But I know I can’t say it nearly that well. But I am going to try to say how I see this.

In no way do I disparage those who feel they cannot afford children. Perhaps some cannot. But many more can than do, and I marvel at it.

I suppose you could say my parents “skipped their own lives” to have, educate and raise myself and my siblings. They had some major financial ups and downs, but did manage to even leave us some land. That was about it. Some land.

My wife and I had more children than we “should have” and, I guess, have “skipped our own lives” too. We have acquired some assets (not looking so good right now, though), put our children through school, and all that. We have turned many of our assets over to our children while they are still (because we’re still living) slow to squander them. Some of my siblings, including myself, have added modestly to the land we inherited. The kids and grandkids work on it in their spare time (as I do) , and we have, through two generations, (and it took two) raised some fairly good timber and cattle. I hoped they woudl be good stewards, as my parents hoped we would be, and, so far, I think they are. I think they see the timber and the cattle the way my parents did and the way my siblings and I do. They are there to be taken care of, and to take care of any of us that is ever in trouble; in truly dire need. In some ways, it’s like having your own bank that nobody ever borrows from, but is there if someone has to.

I agree with those who view children as a gift of God. They are. They are souls fully entrusted to us; a remarkable thing to think about. But one thing I think people might consider in a purely practical sense is the fact that because of the low birth rate and the profligacy of government, there is really no certitude that we will not, in our old age, be dependent on those children. If, during our lifetimes, we have given everything to them in terms of rearing, faith and training in stewardship, they might well be the ones who save our bacon. People shoudl think about that, and about the lessons in generosity or selfishness they are giving their children.

I had the rare good fortune to be able, as an adult, to obtain a pension for my father; one he could not get for himself. I learned a particular business particularly well and invested for my parents and made my mother comfortable after my father died.

Long ago, older people as well as children, were dependent on people in their strongest years. Old people tended garden and children while the strong young ones plowed, sowed, reaped, cooked, sewed and canned. Things are different now, and I know that. But they’re not as different as we often think. Generations now think of themselves as “autonomous”. We see older people squander money on new cars and RVs and expensive vacations while their adult children struggle and, oftentimes, do not feel themselves able to have children of their own. And then, when disability comes, the older ones’ assets dwindle because of the cost of the services they increasingly need, and they get tucked away in nursing homes and never see their children, let alone their grandchildren.

There is something profoundly wrong with the way generations are arranged nowadays.

We’ll see how it all turns out for us. But even if our children never do anything for us, it will be reward enough to know they’re alive and that they have children.

I received an astounding gift from my grandchildren this past Christmas. Somehow they (aged 14, 11, 10, 8, 8, 6 and 4.) learned the old Spanish Christmas song “Riu Riu Chiu” and sang it in post-Renaissance Spanish and in round. (Google it. It will astonish you too.) They even turned out the lights and lit the traditional candle and blew it out at the end, as it was traditional to do centuries ago. I was utterly astonished. Floored! It was their Christmas gift to me. No trinkets. I didn’t get any of those. But what could they have possibly bought me that could have equaled that? What could I have bought myself?

Maybe the above only makes good sense to me.

It makes perfect sense to me. You are so blessed. What an incredibly wonderful Christmas gift. There is a thread on the Parenting forum about Christmas gifts. I posted my gift about my son there.