A close friend had a baby last month. She is separated from the father. I just heard about a friend of a friend in the same situation. This breaks my heart. I totally understand if a chick and a dude are not meant to be. But the idea of giving birth, bringing home baby, raising baby totally alone really really saddens me.
It is physically and emotionally exhausting to care for a newborn. Especially for first time parents. There is so much to learn, so much you need to know before giving birth, so many little things that need to be done. Constantly. Around the clock. Nevermind your own needs or wants. Babies rule your schedule and there is nothing you can do about it.
A parent worries about their child's health and happiness from the moment they enter the world (if not sooner). And that does not seem to ever change. Parents constantly second guess all they do and wonder if its ever good enough. Is it??
Knowing that you dont have a partner to share this burden with, let alone the physical burdens with, is just uncomprehensible to me. It moves me in a way that few things do. I wish I could clone myself and cohabitate with these ladies in order to shoulder some of these burdens.
Parenting is the absolute most difficult and arduous thing Ive ever done. Its also the most rewarding. Nothing has made me feel high-on-life like my children can. But my joys and sorrows, and everything in between, can be shared with my partner. It makes the hard times more bearable, and the joyous times more exceptional. Knowing that there is another person in this world that loves my daughters like I do, and worries about them like I do, and admires them like I do, and wants the best for them like I do... just seems to make parenting more manageable and bearable at times, and more amazing and special at other times.
Afterall, happiness is homemade.
No comments:
Post a Comment