I noticed in the highlight of life thread that most people said getting married and having kids was the highlight of their life. What does that mean for single people? Are they always unhappy? What if you never get married or have kids, is your life unfulfilled?
Can't different people have different highlights in life? I dunno about you, but I see a lot of darn happy single people. Not that I don't see a lot of darn happy married people with kids...
I don't think a person who is single and childless has a lesser quality of life per se than a married person or a parent. There are plenty of couples and parents who are unhappy and unfulfilled.
But for me, the first time I held my daughter (my oldest) in my arms right after she was born, I have never felt more "needed" in all my life. I was holding this tiny, frail little being for which I was directly responsible. I was overwhelmed by that sense of "neededness" (sorry that I don't have a better term to describe it). Now that she's nearly a teenager, I still get choked up with love for her when I look in her eyes or when I think about her (and my other 2 kids). They mean more to me than my own life. I'd rather suffer pain, illness, or injury personally than see them suffer in such a way. To me, there's no greater sound in the world than to hear your kids laughing and then there's no worse sound in the world than to hear your kids crying in pain.
Getting married and having children changes your life in a way that nothing else can. You give up a lot when you do those things (complete independence, e.g.) but life becomes completely different, but in a good way (at least, I choose to see it that way... most of the time... ha ha).
I'm not very comfortable around kids, so I was wondering what it is like to have them for the first time. Do you automatically know how to act and what to do with the baby? Do you automatically love him/her? It just seems like it would be awkward, but I suppose that's what parental instincts are for.
You must not have read the Post Nuptial Shutoff thread. do a search and read it and then you might think differently.
post nuptial shutoff wrote:
You must not have read the Post Nuptial Shutoff thread. do a search and read it and then you might think differently.
Funny, but for a different reason, I remembered that exact same thread when I was reading the current Las Vegas thread. Makes me super happy to be married.