Some of my best effort…

somedays seems to go into comment boxes instead of my own blog.

A gentleman commentor on the Our Homeschool Blog opined:

I have seen and heard of too many parents having too many kids and the kids suffer for it. I am happy and blessed for everday that we get to have with our kids, and yes our only 2, and do not regret my decision to stop in any way.

This was my reply:

My great grandparents moved to upper Michigan in the winter of 1905. They got there and they had no place to live. So somehow my great grandpa Dan worked it out with railroad for his family to live in a box car that summer and fall until he had a house ready for them. They either had 4 or 3 and one on the way at that time and when I was growing up it was always a topic of marvel at the reunions how grandma kept “house” and raised kids in their temporary box car home. They ended up with 10 children, in the house Grandpa Dan built with two bedrooms and an attic, raising their own food, with no electricity, no running water, no fridge and a wood burning stove. Those kids became farmers, teachers, ministers, housewives, welders and World Book Encyclopedia salesman. They all married, they all had kids. Only 4 of them still live but each of them contributed greatly to our family and to their communities.

My husband’s family had 9 children. He is 8th of 9, so I am grateful that his parents weren’t “done” after 2 or 3! Five years ago, the 6th child, my sister-in-law, succumbed to lung cancer. She was 45. Her siblings helped her husband and children organize the funeral, they made food, they provided the music at the service etc. But what touched my heart the most was that when it was time for that last good bye, they gathered around her casket, joined arms, and wept. The loss was not lessened because they still had 8 others surviving. Her loss was grieved, and she was loved. But if anything her passing joined them all closer together, determined to remain in touch, and a family.

I only have 6 (one baby in heaven) but I can’t think of a better gift that I can ever give to my children than the gift of a sibling. And even though our resources are limited, and my children do without the latest fashions, the newest games, they all have to share a room and they will all have to work through college, they love and care for each other deeply, and long for a new baby to love.

To which I’ll add here. My husband and I won’t live forever. And although I hope we will just drop dead from old age after many healthy and vigorous years, there are no guarantees. My children will have each other to count on, to call on, to talk to, to vacation with, to have cousins for, to laugh and cry with, to support each other. Other than love and teching the children to know and love the Lord, I can’t think of a better gift to give a child than a sibling.

Please feel free to leave a comment under the posting, or sign my Spiritbook (guestbook). You can chat with me on the tag board to the right!