Opus 2025-084: The Curse

I have been seeing memes mocking women who claim that they are happy having no children.  They claim it is a choice they made and they are glad they did.  

It may have been a choice they made.  That is possible.  A quiet life with your little kitty has some appeal.  Of course it involves bars on your windows, padlocks on your doors and a fear of going out at night.   But the kitty is cute and you don’t need to share your arugula, so it is worth it.

It may have been a choice because a woman has high standards.  That can be read from the extreme that no man who meets her standards would consider her, to living in an area where all the men drool and drink Bud Lite.  In the middle are the women who might have made a choice to become a nun or do some other type of service that was better done single.  The problem with that is those women would not claim giving up children was a joy.  It may have been necessary but was a sacrifice.

The Bible culture viewed a woman who has no children as cursed.  That may not have been what the Bible actually said but that is how people viewed it.  Part of this is because children are viewed as a blessing.  If you did not have them you were not blessed.

(Psa 127:3 KJV)  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
(Psa 127:4 KJV)  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
(Psa 127:5 KJV)  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

I know women who desperately wanted children but were unable to conceive.  Sometimes it was their infertility, sometimes the husbands.  We need to be sympathetic to those and somehow be patient with the ones who brag about their lack.  

May your quiver be full.

homo unius libri

Opus 2020-270: Whither Privilege, Interlude

This morning I had a brief time span of Grandparent Privilege.  My granddaughter was asleep.  My daughter was trying to get a shower.  My wife was asleep.  I had the boy.  My grandson is about nine months old and quite mobile.  I was able to watch and interact with him without interruptions.  It was a glorious time.

My first response was thanksgiving.   I know it is a month early but I have so much to be thankful for that I start the day after the feast.  When the world goes shopping, I start thanking.

Then I got to thinking about what a blessing the boy had by having me as a grandfather.  I guess I would include the rest of the family because I am not the one who bought all the toys on the floor or arranged the room and I certainly did not carry him in my womb for nine months.  But I watched him on the floor soaking up the privilege, totally unaware of all that went into giving him a head start in life.  

It is not a matter of race.  Any child can reap the benefit of investment by parents and grandparents.  The blessing, i.e. privilege, comes from having such people in your life.  If I found myself on my I-Pad or reading a book while he roamed the room, they would be put aside when he turned his attention toward me.  The electronics get put on boring print mode when the young ones come over.  No cartoons or graphics, just articles getting them used to the idea of reading.  That is an important privilege.

I looked at all the toys in the room and realized it isn’t a matter of money.  I saw nothing that was bought for full price by us.  Yard sales, thrift stores, close out racks and hand me downs are the source of everything not received as a gift.  I can’t let me wife go out unsupervised because when she does she brings back boxes of child friendly materials.  Actually it doesn’t do any good to supervise because she just uses me to haul it all to the car.  Fiscal responsibility is an other privilege available to all.  

Children are meant to be a blessing.

(Psa 127:3-5 KJV) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Of course an important way to make them a blessing is to be a blessing to them.  Pass on the privilege.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-27: Middle Class Morality: Children

Modern Americans are beginning to look at children as a burden.  They cost money.  They demand time.  They require energy.  In short they are inconvenient and keep us from the gym.  They are for when we can afford them, unlike that new phone that we can put on our credit card.

That is not a middle class value.

Middle class morality is based on the Biblical teaching that children are a blessing from God.  Try this on for size:

(Psalms 127:3-5 KJV)  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

If you are worried about the world being overpopulated, get a grip and face reality.  It has been a few years since I did the math but you can do it yourself.  Get a World Almanac and find out the world’s population.  Find out the area of Texas.  Do the division.  I found that the population of the entire world could live in Texas.  It was based on a family size averaging 4.1 and a home on 1/6 of an acre.  If you want malls and streets, throw in Oklahoma.  Notice I said the population of the world, not just the United States.

Middle class morality also puts children in their proper place.  They are not a source of wisdom.  Wisdom, when it is present, is given with age.  Children may have some qualities like trust and innocence but they are not to be consulted when a major decision is necessary.  Keep in mind that “McDonald’s or Burger King?” does not qualify as a major decision.  Children are to be trained, guided and disciplined.  They are not to be consulted.

They are children.  They are a blessing when raised with middle class morality, not a burden.

Viva la middle class morality.

To be continued...

homo unius libri