A Blessing

We have recently discovered that we are expecting again! I am currently 7 weeks along, and things are going well with all, despite my having some morning sickness. Speaking of which, it seems to be less severe this time, as opposed to my pregnancies with Dominic and Stella. I thank God everyday for that, because if I was throwing up and having to lie in bed all day, I don't see how I would be able to take care of my kids. I suppose though, God gives strength and grace where it is needed. I am excited, though almost shocked to think that I am already having my third baby! What a wild and crazy ride these first three years of marriage have been. Our third anniversary is coming up on May 29th, and already, we have two children and one on the way, to show for it!!! God is amazing! I know that when I see a growing family, I think of how much love must be there. It is so refreshing to see big families. I have run into many people, though, who feel very differently about big families. Many believe it to be irresponsible to have a number of children, perhaps because if there are more than 2 or 3, it would be very difficult to ensure that each child will get everything they want, and it will be almost a certainty that their parents will not be able to pay for every child to make it through college, among other things. They will be more likely to have less stuff, to put it plainly. Along with this train of thought, I think that it is also believed that parents of a large family end up having to sacrifice the well-being of their children over all, in order to simply keep up with life. Where do they get all that time to be able to take really good care of all those kids? Those kids must be so deprived! To that I would say: deprived of what? I think that in general, people who grow up in larger families are mostly happier people because they had more family time. Their mothers could not have been able to work full time, go out with their friends on the weekends, and have plenty of "me" time, and still be able to take good care of their children. I think that in general, these mothers with lots of kids tend to spend much more of their time with their kids. They tend to be stay at home moms, at least as much as they are able to, as I know that monetary issues can sometimes force the mothers to have to work at least sometimes away from the home. I think that because larger families have less money to spend on material things that the kids and parents want versus need, they tend to spend more time with each other, and the focus is on the family. Children need love above all. But they also want love above all. There is nothing greater that a parent can give his children, than to love and spend time with them. I am convinced of this. There are no material things in this world that could take the place of a parents love and time.
The Church asks us to be responsible and generous in our families. What exactly does that mean? Well, it means to keep in mind the emotional, physical, and financial well-being of each person in the family, and also to realize that love begets life. Generosity does not mean have as many children as you possibly can, with no thought involved. Absolutely not. The responsible part is just as important as the generous part. It also does not mean that we must have a large family. If it is not possible to care for more than even one child, then the responsible act is to not have more than one. Decisions about family size is between the parents and God. However, the decisions must be met with great care, thought, and prayer. Generosity is an act of sacrifice, and its aim is not at oneself, but at others, and in this case, towards the family. I think this is a difficult thing to understand if one cannot admit that to love means to sacrifice. Certainly having a family is a sacrifice of one's personal time and desires. It means giving your life to your family; setting aside your own wants and sometimes even needs, in order to meets those of your children and spouse. Jesus says that the greatest love is to lay down your life for that of another. Of course this applies to literally giving your life so that another may live, but I think it also applies to giving your life in a less literal sense: giving your time, sacrificing your desires, putting yourself last, all for the sake of your family. Love begets life. And life is a beautiful thing.