Having a child doesn't make you a wiser, more loving, complete or superior person than me.Truth!
Today, it seems that when a woman is carrying a child her body is no longer her own. It's merely a vessel growing a new life, one more important than its initiator's, and one that can be scrutinised and criticised by any woman who has also been pregnant.Right? How often do you see people saying "She shouldn't be eating that, it's bad for the baby"? I see it all the time, sadly.
It's called addiction and it doesn't just go away because you want it to, or because you're pregnant.I have no doubt the woman in question was doing her best, but we all make mistakes sometimes.
Good god, it's hard to argue that parents don't often make the biggest ones. (Not by having children - but it's hard not to look at some people's kids and realize their entitlement complexes are out of this world.)
Some of those comments are really good. It's very true that having a child doesn't automatically make you a better person.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't know about over there.. but over here there's a lot of people complaining about the second quote. Not only because people give unsolicited advice/critique.. but because a pregnant women suddenly seems to be public property and random people seem to think it's totally okay for them to touch her belly.
And I think most parents make mistakes. Some bigger than others of course.
I always loved this quote from the old Parenthood movie (I think it was). (Paraphrased since I don't remember the exact quote.)
"It's required by law to get a license to drive a car, but any idiot can have a child."
I've heard about strangers feeling like it's okay to touch a stranger's pregnant belly. How absolutely gross, don't you think? I mean, how often do people randomly and without invitation touch strangers? Very, very rarely, because everyone knows it's taboo, and rude to invade someone's personal space. It's a violation. But if you're pregnant? Oh, now you're personal property!
DeleteAnd that quote is fantastic. So true!
I remember when my friend Alice was pregnant, and after we had hung out all day one day she thanked me for not touching her stomach (we were close friends, but not like touchy-close. I don't really know how to explain that, but I touch some girl friends more than others), which was funny, because it hadn't ever even occurred to me. That's when she told me all about how people walk up to her and touch her belly all day, both at work and just on the sidewalk, whether she knew them or not! That is pretty crazy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the *only* time I would ever think to touch a pregnant woman's stomach would be if she offered because, I don't know, the baby was kicking and she was excited and wanted to share. It really seems gross to do otherwise.
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