SHOULD WE HAVE CHILDREN?

I would like to start with a real life incident.

 A father admitted in the ICU of a hospital was dying. His wife who was waiting outside the ICU was brought in to see him. She was looking very sad and distressed. He opened his eyes looked at her and told her he wanted to see his son. Although it was not allowed to make a call inside the ICU, she was given special permission. She called her son and told him to come soon to the hospital, since the dying father wanted to see him. Then she looked at her husband and told him that the son will come immediately. The father nodded his head and lay quietly with his eyes closed. His breathing was becoming more and more difficult. After sometime with great difficulty he opened his eyes and asked for the son. The mother once again called the son on the mobile and spoke to him. Then she told her husband that he is stuck up in a traffic jam and would come quickly. The father nodded his head but he was finding it difficult to breathe. Soon there was a loud chortling sound in his throat as though he was choking and breathed his last without seeing his son. The wife started wailing. After a little while a stretcher was wheeled in and the dead body was taken to the cold storage to be released when the son turns up at the hospital.

What do you think the father was thinking at the time of dying? Can you not feel the pain and anguish he must have been feeling at not seeing his son at the time of his death?

Well, the son will come to claim the dead body, arrange the funeral, accept the condolences of those present at the funeral and carry on with his life as usual.

If this is the case, why should we have children?

Here are some extracts from interesting comments in my previous posts.

Ginnie

 I have three children and all were married but one chose not to have children. I am happy to say that she and her husband just celebrated 25 years of marriage and don't feel any loss because they give so much time and love to others. I guess it's a choice that only the couple can make ...that is if they live in a country that allows open thinking.

Ginnie says that one of her children chose not to have children and they have celebrated 25 years of marriage and they don’t feel any loss at not having children.

John    -----A very interesting post and representative of the changing world we live in. It is hard to imagine though missing out on the absolute joy of being a parent and holding that precious bundle in your arms for the first time. It does require work and sacrifice and each parent and child is different, it all comes down to choices!

John talks of the absolute joy of being a parent and holding the precious bundle in your arms.

Christine ------ I feel it's good to have your own kids if you can, even adoption is a good thing.

Christine says if you can’t have your own children, it is a good idea to adopt.

Ramakrishnan Ramanathan--------- some parents are also scared of their son/daughter/son in law/daughter in law. There are instances where parents have been killed by children/their agents for money/property.

Such terrible things do happen some times. I remember an old lady selling tea telling me that her eldest son who is a drunkard, frequently comes to the tea shop and tries to strangle her because she has not given his share of the property.

Cathy Tittle  -----a law to safeguard care of parents is a good one I think.

Al Penwasser  ====Taking care of your elderly parents....a tragedy we need a law, huh?

If it is a tragedy to have a law to support elderly parents, then why should we have children?

jonathan  ------India had done something good to protect the rights of the elderly. I, myself, have seen how my own siblings are treating my dad badly when all of them, were dependent on him for a very, long time.

Jonathan comes out with another instance of children treating the parent badly

Shamu Boo -------I have never considered a concept such as this. How terrible it would be to have to drag your own children into court, but if it meant that or suffering then it must be done. Such a difficult issue.

Shamu Boo thinks that it is terrible to drag children to court.

Please click on the names of these excellent bloggers to visit them. I am sure they will be thrilled and reciprocate.

All this boils down to one question. If we can be happy without having children, if the state has to enact a law to get an allowance from children, if the children are not going to take care of their old parents voluntarily out of love, if the parents are going to feel terrible to drag their children to court, if the children are going to misbehave and ill treat their old parents, then, would it not be better not to have children?

I hope you will put on your thinking caps and write a detailed comment on this interesting subject. Please let your thoughts flow.