At least that is what I keep hearing. Every time I am out in public with at least 3 to 5 of my children, someone....or many someones....makes the comment, "You've got your hands full."
I usually just smile and answer, "Yes I do!"
For the most part, people are just being friendly. They don't have anything original to say, but they don't appear to mean any harm by their comments. It appears to be the generally accepted statement to make when meeting a family with more than the recommended 2.1 children.
The comment actually bugs me.
It bugs me that I have to restrain myself from saying what I am actually thinking. What I would really like to answer is...
"Better full than empty!"
I would rather have my hands full raising a team of children, than to have the ache of empty arms. Been there. Done that. I've got the heart wounds to prove it.
There was a time in my life when I was a Mother, but I had no living children. That pain was more than I could handle. Death itself appeared to me to be an easier route, than living a life with an empty crib, and a broken heart.
When I was finally blessed with my first living child, I still felt like I was holding my breath, anticipating that her tiny life would be taken from me at any moment. That emotion was justified with the experiences of our 2nd living child's fragile heart. I did not exhale until our 3rd living child was born. With 3 living children, I started to relax. I started to breathe. I started to rationalize that the odds were quite low that I would ever be a Mother without any living children, ever again.
Better full than empty
Thankfully, with the arrival of our 4th living child, I was able to focus on the joys of motherhood, instead of the fear of empty arms. With the arrival of our 5th living child, I know that I am just truly blessed!
I've certainly got my hands full.
I prefer it that way!
I usually just smile and answer, "Yes I do!"
For the most part, people are just being friendly. They don't have anything original to say, but they don't appear to mean any harm by their comments. It appears to be the generally accepted statement to make when meeting a family with more than the recommended 2.1 children.
The comment actually bugs me.
It bugs me that I have to restrain myself from saying what I am actually thinking. What I would really like to answer is...
"Better full than empty!"
I would rather have my hands full raising a team of children, than to have the ache of empty arms. Been there. Done that. I've got the heart wounds to prove it.
There was a time in my life when I was a Mother, but I had no living children. That pain was more than I could handle. Death itself appeared to me to be an easier route, than living a life with an empty crib, and a broken heart.
When I was finally blessed with my first living child, I still felt like I was holding my breath, anticipating that her tiny life would be taken from me at any moment. That emotion was justified with the experiences of our 2nd living child's fragile heart. I did not exhale until our 3rd living child was born. With 3 living children, I started to relax. I started to breathe. I started to rationalize that the odds were quite low that I would ever be a Mother without any living children, ever again.
Better full than empty
Thankfully, with the arrival of our 4th living child, I was able to focus on the joys of motherhood, instead of the fear of empty arms. With the arrival of our 5th living child, I know that I am just truly blessed!
I've certainly got my hands full.
I prefer it that way!
No comments:
Post a Comment