Be Fruitful And Multiply

 So I have delightful neighbors who I haven't seen in months, even though they live just 2 houses to our East. The other day I ran into the husband, and we actually walked together and caught up. His son, a confirmed bachelor high on the Miami food scene, was finally engaged. His daughter is a superstar -- we attended her graduation from FSU med school years ago, and she just finished her Peds residency in Baltimore. They're Persian, and she married a VERY gringo guy from North Florida who is finishing his Neuro training -- the party was a glorious mix of Persian ladies uulating and Southern folks having a good 'ole time.

And then just 4 days later, he and his wife stopped to chat as I was reading my mail by the recycle container. Every other Wednesday, I wheel out the blue container, and since our mail comes late, toss right into the bin all the junk mail from that day. It's one of my OCD rituals.

Anyway, his wife asked if I knew the neighbor between us, Elizabeth, had her second grandchild. I did, and added as to how I hoped they joined the Club someday -- our boys are the, as Wifey says, lights on our lives.

She looked downcast. Apparently the newly minted Pediatrician and her soon to be Neurologist husband had proclaimed they would be childless -- they looked forward to a life in medicine together, but with no entanglements of children. They also told my neighbor "We really don't want to bring kids into this world," citing the ongoing war with the pediatrician's ancestral nation, as an example.

The Mom said "I do not wish to be politically incorrect," and I cut her off. Two Muslims were talking with a Jew -- speak freely -- and she went on as to how, in her opinion, the world needs precisely the type of people her daughter and son in law would bring into it -- as opposed to the mass of less educated we will instead receive.

I agreed. And I reminded her the "no kids into this mean world" was nothing new. I recall hearing it as a child, citing Vietnam, Watergate, pollution, greed, hunger, etc...In other words, it has ALWAYS, in modern times, been a "bad" time to bring children into this world. But it has also been the best time.

It's so interesting to me. Pregnancy was, to my generation in younger days, something to be feared -- maybe an encounter of carelessness led to it. It seems to the Ds' generation, medical assistance with childbearing is much more common. In other words, those seeking parenthood pay over 6 figures to do it!

I remain an empiricist. And I shared this with my neighbors -- and they agreed completely -- whatever blessings my life has brought, they all PALE in comparison to my kids and grandkids. And my Ds get that, too -- D1 seeing it first hand, and D2, with blessings of the Big Man, will see it someday.

My neighbors left -- holding hope that their daughter and her husband would change their minds -- maybe after the son in law completed training, and they settled into practices somewhere, still well young enough to become parents. I told them they could borrow a Jewish tradition at their son's wedding -- a dance around the couple celebrating marrying off your last child. The marriage might not last, but in our tradition -- once you get there, you get to celebrate -- your kids are grown ups.

They LOVED hearing that.

Anyway, as I shared with Paul this am, I really CAN teach a Masters class in marriage. I was on my second cup of coffee, when the power went out. The FPL app said it would be back on by 1130. I thought about Wifey -- we're leaving here at 11 today, for early fetch of Little Man at school (Labor Day Weekend starts early). Wifey LOVES her am coffee, but if the power was out?

So I stopped drinking my second cup of black coffee, put in milk and the artificial sweeteners she loves, and carried it to her nightstand -- she was sleeping soundly. But, follow me for more great marital advice...

The power came back after a 15 minute outage -- I got my second cup anyway. So today the plan is to fetch Little Man. D1 texted a plethora of ideas for what we could do with him after school -- a park he likes, maybe Target. Nah -- we'll have Spaniels in tow, and just grab lunch, if he wishes, and then back to his house. He has learned that with Dave and Ippi, he holds a valid license to chill...

D1 will fetch Baby Man, and we will get some hours with them. Maybe D2 will stop by after her lunch with friends in the Grove -- seems LOTS of folks have early release today.

And then, as I told D1, we are on our way home by 8 pm. The Days of Awe begin tonight -- Canes football. They open away at Stanford, and kickoff is 9 pm EST. I will be firmly planted in front of the TV.

I invited Jeff over to watch, but I think the late kickoff may keep him home. I love watching knowing that Mike and Loni and Jeaninne are there, along with Amanda and Daniel, and other old friends. But I 'm happy, in my dotage, to be watching from my sofa.

So to those wishing children -- may it happen. To those choosing not to -- rock on. For now, at least, it's a free country.