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Granville as it was by Minnie Hite MoodyOn babiesFor various reasons I have been thinking lately on the subject of babies. Now babies arc something we all know more or less about. Each of us has been a haby. and quite a good many of us have been mother or father of a baby. Maiden ladies, God bless 'em. especially as the variety we knew a generation ago is rapidly vanishing from the face of the earth, used to know more about babies than the rest of us ever knew, though an occasional maiden lady, such as my Aunt Cora, often remirked that she had no idea why people bothered to have babies, since babies are more destructive than puppies, messier than kittens, and can't be had free, in the bargain. On the other hand. Aunt Cora had a marvelous way with babies, and never gave out of patience. As for me. speaking from a somewhat limited experience, for I had only two. and have only two grandchil-dren.plusonc great-grandchild, now age three and a hall. I adore babies when they arc babies, but I'm not always so keen about them when they get farther along. Kids of the TV era are of a different breed from the young ones of yesteryear.So I go back to one of my favorite notions, which is that having a baby is just about the most natural thing in the world. Old Mother Nature has ways of tricking practically everybody into it. even though a bahv may be as unwelcome as smallpox, now practically eradicated from the face of the globe— not so. however, with habics.Let's not go into statistics on unwed teen-age girls, the thousands and thousands who now have babies wuh no stigma attached. Perhaps the old way was better—when some such unfortunate girl was socially branded for life. At least she and her child needn't become a taxpayer's burden or a national problem. Married couples with any sense at all have no business becoming parents except as a matter of choice. In whatever ease, loo little thought enters into the situation. The babies come. Education is geared to take care of almost everything else, but hardly ever is anyone educated to be a parent. There are books on the subject-good books—but just try to bring up a child by any rules in a book (Here I make my excuses to Dr. Spock). I think of the young mother who with loving foresight prepared herself for the inevitable question her little daughter would some day ask. So when the child said. Mommy, where did I come from? the mother went into the subject in careful detail, the little girl showing scant interest. Finally she got in a complaint: Well. I only wanted to know. The new little girl that's moved in next door, says she came from Michigar.''Babies have wiles of their own. and once you have got yourself a bahv, planned or unplanned, those I It tie arms go around your nee k. th at slobbery little mouth gives you us toothless gnn. and you arc hooked, that's for certain. You Iced and clothe and shelter the precious darling. try not to spoil it. do your damdest to be a good parent, but you don't know all the answers and never will. I thought of that some years ago as our small lamily group stood at the graveside o( the blue cycdchild'shushand. Over the yearsI bad coped with all kinds of needs •nd emergencies in that child's lilc—the measles and mumps, chickenpix. and jhildhood accident!: the needs of her college life: the romances that didn't quite jell: the thousand and one varieties of girlish heartbreak. Never once had I dreamed that I might one day need the strength and practical sense to help to sustain that child as a young widow! Indeed. I had thought, if the idea ever crossed my mind, of the comfon her wonderful husband would be to her in the event that she were to lose me, which I might naturally follow in due course of events, the gcncrauonsdeparting in their usual sequence.So you never know what may be required ol you in the adventure of being a parent. Read any day's newspapers, and the emergencies pare nt s m uM I ace suiggc r the im.ig i • nation It is impossible to prepare for the accidents, the loul play, the disasters, the crime, in which some child once an innocent baby may he involved. Not« mention the sickness and death, :he monstrous gin!, that may come to any lamily The philosopher and the stoic may have the answers to this, but the ordinary parent doesn't. How do you comfon a grandson whose adored lather has suddenly died, seemingly at the peak ol pcrvmal charm and w orldly success? How do you answer:' What's the use of working toward a certain goal, il it all vanishes in a second, as a did with Dad?There arc answers, but I do no* know them. Dr. Spock doesn't include them m his helpful advice to young mothers. I am not certain who knows them.
Newspaper Details
Granville Sentinel
Granville, Ohio, US
Thu, Jul 05, 1990
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Janet P.
NA, 06 Feb 2017
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