Our next military move is coming up quick and this time, there will only be three of us going. My two adult children will be elsewhere making their way in the world.
Between my middle daughter and son, my husband and I lost a lot of babies. We have 10 saints in Heaven. But, thankfully, after a lot of heartbreak, we were blessed with our son.
The other day, my husband and I realized that if we had lost hope, we would never have had our son and this military move, it would have just been the two of us. We would have been empty-nesters just like that.
For 22 years, our lives have been intertwined with these beautiful children of ours. We’ve moved nine times, lived in 14 different homes, moved with cats (
), lived overseas, travelled this country from coast-to-coast, met amazing, life-long friends, learned new cultures, experienced hardships, survived a deployment, and grew a full-rich life together.
Too many people put off marriage and children because they want to travel, drink wine, drink coffee in peace, (lots of drinking of beverages is a high priority), have their stuff, and sleep.
Marriage and children do not keep you from a full life, in fact, they enhance it. The nuclear family is what God designed. It gives spouses strength and companionship, it gives children the foundation they need, and gives all members the opportunity to weed out selfishness and grow in love.
Marriage and children aren’t what you do after you’ve done everything else, your family should come along for the ride.
Have a blessed day, Catholic Pilgrims.
P.S. This message is not for those couples struggling to have children. This message is also not focused on those in the religious life, a very noble calling. It’s also not for those in the single life who are seeking a family or those that have chosen the single life to keep in line with church teaching.
