Large families

I know that having large families is not popular.  Heck, get married isn't even popular.  I wouldn't consider myself in a big family by any stretch of the imagination, but my family is larger than most I see in the community around me.  Having a lot of children around is crazy, I know, I just had all my posterity at my house for a surprise party for my husband.  I have eight grandchildren ranging in age from 13 years to 10 months.  When they are together, things are a little like a circus. Still, there are plenty of good reasons why having a large posterity is a blessing in my life.

My sister-in-law needs a kidney transplant. She has no posterity, but fortunately for her, she has mine that loves her like their own. One of our family (who wants to remain anonymous) is going to donate their kidney.  It isn't a match, but it still puts Cindy at the top of the donor list. That would not be possible without a large posterity.

When Richard was in his accident, there was not one day that I was alone in my efforts to handle all the things that I had to deal with.  I had children that helped me.  I had a community around me that gave me support like I could not believe, but the ones that were in it for the long haul were these kids of mine.

As I grow old, it is these three people that I can depend on to be there to continue to love me even if I loose by bowel control, bladder control, memory, or ability to care for myself.  My precious girls have offered to take care of my in my old age. I didn't ask them to, they offered.  One thing I can be sure about and that is that I will never be alone. I have 11 people (so far) that I know will always care and be there for me.  That is worth a great deal to me.  It also makes me sad for those who do not have such a posterity.
I understand that there is only so much we can do about having a large posterity.  I understand that some people want it, but it is denied them.  I am fortunate, and I know that, but I also made decisions differently than those who chose not to have children.  I am blessed, but I am also grateful for the decisions in my life that lead me to this place. There is nothing in my life that I have done that will make as big an influence in 100 years than these people. There is nothing more important than raising them to be the kind of citizens I hope the future will have. It is not politically correct to say this anymore, but I still believe that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.  They are also the people that will pay for the social security of those in my generation.  We should be grateful for large families that will provide for all of us in our old age, but I am grateful in innumberable ways for the posterity that I have.  It is my greatest treasure.