BE HAPPY

                                                                                           
   


My wife and I were blessed this summer with our eighth grandchild. Many of my readers have children and grandchildren and I feel certain they join me in acknowledging the amazing feeling that comes with new life.

All of us are busy with our lives and our careers but into each of many of our lives comes the realization that the future is in the hands of our offspring and their offspring.

When my wife and I were having children it was very different than it is today. We did not know much about ultrasound. We did not know much about genetic testing. We did not know much about learning the sex of your baby before birth. It was not commonly accepted that the father should be in the delivery room. We had our babies in the 1970’s.

Today they tell you your baby’s sex in advance.

Today the father is present in the delivery room and watches and participates in the birth of his child.

When I was born my mother was in the hospital two weeks. She was permitted to recover from giving birth and the baby was carefully observed during the early days of life.

My daughter gave birth and went home the same day.

Big difference.

Progress?

My mother was one of 13 children. They were all born at home not in a hospital. Neighbor women helped with each birth. It was amazing that in those days all of my mother’s siblings were born healthy and safely.

Life is amazing. Our procreation is part of history. We continue to add to the human race without much thought to the importance of the continuity of history.

We should stop to marvel.

Is it not a wonderful thing that we have children and they have children and that human life is sustained?

My wife and I brought Jay, Mark, Scott and Anne into this world.

They brought Carter, Patrick, Collin, Charlie, Sam, Alissa, Madeline and Caeli into the world.

And so life continues and family grows.

What a wonderful blessing can be found in all of this.

The world in which we live is indeed a place of miracles. There are lots of happy times and many pleasant opportunities for growth. Within our own families we can find the foundations on which to build our lives and see hope for the future.

In these days of ranting, raving, grousing and political infighting I wanted to write a column that left readers with a positive feeling. I wanted it to be a break from the gloom and doom.

Have a truly great week and look for the sunshine in your life.