2 Comments

Joe DeVet
March 5th, 2013 | 7:23 am

Kudos to David Paul Deavel for a good article on ‘productivity’–the kind that ‘produces’ little humans.

My wife and I are in the same boat, and have been treated with the same–what shall I call it?–combination of disrespect, wonder, marginalization, contempt, disbelief. What Deavel knows, and few can perceive from the outside, is the secret we found. As he put it, we made a “bundle”–lots of them. The secret that our riches are in our kids. And that the riches of the large family are not just in the family itself, but in what they will contribute to the common good, including the wealth of nations.

As my wife retorted to an angry stranger in the grocery store, complaining about our astronomical numbers (I think 4 at the time–half a family!): we’re raising them to be givers, not takers. They will be paying your Social Security.

These enounters used to trouble us. As time went on, our attitude changed to sadness over the poverty of those who had kept themselves from learning the secret, which Bl John Paul II articulated: children are the supreme gift of marriage.

David Deavel
March 5th, 2013 | 8:57 pm

Thanks for your wise comments, Joe. May your quiver be ever full.