SOME THOUGHTS

I have been commuting back and forth to Sun City land of the slowest drivers ever.... for school this semester and have found that the music stations annoy me so I noticed myself being like Revo Williams who I used to make fun of when I was a youth and I listen to talk radio on KTAR? I know, I Know, I am finally a complete OLD FART, talk radio! Anyway today on one of the shows they were saying that there was a poll taken and like 75% of parents stated that the joy they received from having children was not worth the "financial burden" that was placed upon them. Apparently statistics say that to raise a child from birth to 18 on average costs parents 250,000. That means my parents would be millionares if they had not had children.

Back in the day when I was more religious, a better person, single and able to, I had this love affair with the plan of salvation. I would study it like crazy, in fact I spent a whole year doing scripture studies on every aspect of it. unfortunately I have not retained everything i studied but, one thing that really stood out to me and that I have not forgotten all these years later (probably because I was single and had no children at the time but wanted them) was the scripture that says "men are that they might have joy" and when I searched further to find out what joy was defined as it was "posterity" or in other words it was children. I know I am a newer mom and I have not yet experienced the emotional pain that children cause especially in the teenage years yet I am still a bit saddened that the world now categorizes children as a fininacial burden.

My little Gaven brings me so much joy I can't imagine life without my little man. I am sure that my cousins who just lost their son after only 10 days of life could not name a price too high to hold their little one again. I am sure my grandmother who lost her daughter to cancer in December would give up all her earthly possessions to talk to her and hold her in her arms just one more time. I know that having children is not easy, it is not always convienient, it is not without its struggles and yes children do cost money, lots of money, but I would not trade Gaven for millions in my bank account. $250000 in my pocket would not bring me a beautiful smile that greets me when I come home from a bad day at school, it wouldn't snuggle with me at bedtime, give me slobbery kisses or wipe baby food and boogers on my clean shirt or spitup on my shoes. Keep your money america! I think being a mommy is PRICELESS!