Why Would I Want a Baby?

I awoke during the night and lay there but couldn’t go back to sleep. I had started thinking with excitement about the changes that will happen in our lives in about 7 weeks: we’re going to have a baby! It’s not that I’ve never had a baby before—I’ve had several (10 to be exact), but anticipation of each one’s arrival is enough to keep me up at night.

Why would anyone want a baby, you may ask. A baby means more responsibility and less sleep. It’s one more person to depend on you for life, diapers, burp cloths and car seats. Why would anyone want a baby? I’ll tell you.

First the more obvious reasons: babies are cute. Whatever you may have heard about newborn babies resembling their own grandpas, they are indescribably cute. And when it’s your own baby and not just a borrowed one, the baby has all the more power over you. The little thing is soft and cuddly and smells  so sweet. Witnessing him become aware of his world is enchanting. At first it’s delightful just to watch him sleep and hear his soft uneven breathing and listen to his little squeaks. Then after a few weeks of making a fool of yourself by talking baby talk and making faces, he finally smiles back at your antics and you begin to hope he recognizes you and loves you half as much as you already love him.

And secondly, on the more serious side, babies complete families, and families are what it’s all about. Families are central for our reason for coming to earth and to our potential for happiness here and hereafter. A baby it not only cute, it is a person. As much as I love to cuddle and care for my babies, I know very well that babies don’t keep—they grow up. When a baby joins our family, it’s not a toy, or a puppy or a kitten, it’s an individual with unlimited potential, latent gifts and talents, and so much to teach us and bring to our family. Each one of our babies has had a unique impact on our family as they’ve grown up and developed their individuality.

But long before they grow up they spend a while being babies, and while they give very little back to us as parents by way of any measurable material benefit, they give us the best gift of all- an opportunity for joy through service. After all, joy isn’t really found in ease and idleness as we are some times tricked into thinking. Joy comes through sacrifice and service. What better way to give needed service without any immediate recompense than in caring for a helpless baby? The secret of happiness often seems like a paradox to our mortal minds, but joy truly comes from what we give, not from what we get. I have experienced this countless times and know for myself that the harder I search for joy the more elusive it becomes, but as I forget my self and serve, joy comes to me. And many of my most joyful moments have been found in the service of my helpless little babies.

So if I find myself up again tonight, unable to sleep, you can bet I won’t be worrying about diapers or car seats, or more sleepless nights ahead. I’ll be thinking about soft cheeks and incredible potential and families. And about joy.