I ran across this quote from Charles Bronson in “The Magnificent Seven”:
You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there’s nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery.
This applies for mothers, too, of course. In a world that increasingly preaches pursuing your own pleasure, gratifying your own desires, and making everything “all about me,” accepting the responsibility for the care and education of children in raising them to adulthood is almost subversive and counter-cultural. Bravo to those who do.
That is all for today. Everyone have a great weekend, and we’ll see you on the flip-side.
My dad was one of those brave men. Raised his siblings as the man of the house. Raised me and my sisters as the man of the house. Raised my niece and nephew as the man of the house. And along the way, helped out his nieces and nephew when they needed it. He was determined that no child of his would have the want that he went through. I live in the shadow of his bravery, determination and courage.
Mainly for curiosity’s sake, how would you classify recognizing that you haven’t the means or the temperament to be a parent?
About the same as me.
Above my pay grade.
If all of us waited until we we were ready to get married and have children, the species would have ended after one generation.
I’ll agree with you that if you have kids you need to do right by them. But I also feel that it’s not cowardice to examine yourself and conclude that you’re not cut out to be a parent – and then not have kids. There’s too many people out there who shouldn’t be trusted with a child – but have six.
To a certain degree I have to agree. with you. Not my place to tell anyone to be a parent.
And I’ll accept that it’s not my place to tell people not to be parents. Luckily (for them), these people never ask my opinion.