JUSTIFYING MY DECISION TO HAVE A CHILD

A while ago someone said to me that they ‘couldn’t understand my reasoning for bringing a child into the world. I wouldn’t dare bring a kid into a place as sorry as this,’ they said.

And as I sat down at my computer today, I would probably have to agree.

It’s my fault for having the Sydney Morning Herald as my homepage I suppose, but today it’s cheerily reporting:

·               The death of a 4 year old, mauled by a pit bull

·               A mother of 4 dies after a routine operation

·               They have a found a shoe at the site where they suspect Daniel Morcombe is buried

·               The Murdoch’s are faffing around trying to wriggle out of accountability with their disgraced media empire

·               Gerard Depardieu peed in an airplane aisle, and…

·               A man was eaten by a shark whilst on his honeymoon

These are all horrible, horrible events - even the Gerard Depardieu incident. Imagine if you were sitting next to him – but what depressed me even more was that to find out information about the current state of the famine in Somalia, I had to wade through something about Kurt Cobain’s daughter coming of age, the dangers of teeth whitening and some elevator gossip twitter sensation who works for US Vogue.

Now that could make you question the world your child will inhabit.

So then I looked for the good stuff. They were also reporting…actually no, it seriously is a depressing day for news. Not much positive stuff at all.

But I’m positive.

Miss Q could grow up to discover the cure for cancer, or AIDS, or rudeness.

She could be a champion hurdler and inspire other youngsters to exercise and help reverse the tide of obesity in this nation.

Perhaps she’ll become a nurse and work in aged care. Looking after the very people who say we shouldn’t be having any more children.

Maybe she won’t be spectacular at anything in particular at all. Maybe she’ll just be, no not maybe, definitely she’ll be a loving, gracious and kind citizen of the world.

And I reckon that’s reason enough.