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It takes a Village...

I have made mention, here, of my desire to have a baby (babies-if it is possible- triplets to be precise). On the one hand, I acknowledge that this desire is likely wrought of my recent need for a challenge, a project, something I can immerse myself in. On the other, the stirring has had me thinking about children and the huge responsibility parenting is- a thing, I must add, that seems not to come to people's minds when they are planning to have children.

It takes a village to raise a child- an ancient African proverb asserts. The English quasi- equivalent that comes to mind is the John Donne quote with the line, No man is an island; entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main... These sayings highlight the importance of having a support system around you when you decide to have a child. They emphasize the centrality of the family structure in society. Their underlying assertion is that the character of each one of us is a result, not only, of the experiences we have gone through but, also (and perhaps more centrally) the interactions we've had with people of around us, the influence they've had on us.

We live in times when women are emotionally and financially empowered enough to decide that they want to carry, bear and raise a child(ren) without necessarily committing to a permanent relationship- read, marriage. Even though I do not discount their oft sensible reasons for choosing this route, I still hold firmly to the belief that children should only be begotten within the, hopefully, safe confines of a family, with at least two parents committed to responsible parenting.

I am blessed to be a part of a close knit family at both the nuclear and extended level. We grew up being reminded by mom as frequently as possible that our best friends are our siblings, our cousins and then other people out there (at school, church, work...etc). As a result, those people we have each chosen as friends have become part of our family; coming home, getting to know mom on a personal basis, etc...

So, I want to be a mother one day-hopefully soon, considering a certain expiry date :-) yet I am keen to make sure that when I do, I will have the proverbial village on hand to help me raise humans worthy of praise.

Word...

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