This evening I came across this cute commercial which is You Tubed at this site:
http://amateurhour.stblogs.com/2007/05/25/the-soccer-partner/
Rather than post heavy, ponderous comments on someone else's blog, I thought I would do so here, where heavy is perhaps lingua franca.
In what order did the following thoughts hit me? Not sure:
1) If only it were this easy for every couple to conceive a child. This might just be very painful to watch for many who struggle to conceive. How many people have lost all sense of wonder and spontaneity in their intimate marital relationship because of the need for correct timing, striking while the iron is hot so to speak, regardless of how they feel physically or emotionally. Man, if all it took were a white tablecloth and a glass of wine, there would be a whole lot fewer couples in tears.
2) Deep down, what children want is not more stuff, it is love. Loving people filling their lives. Siblings are the best gifts parents can choose to give their children -- assuming they actually do have it within their power to have a choice one way or the other in the matter (see thought #1!).
3) Ok, now I don't mean to be crass with this thought, but the one thing this boy did not have up his sleeve was an ovulation predictor kit, or his mother's NFP chart (at least, it was not visible to us, the viewers!). I slide from that thought into contemplating how even among fertile women there can be such depth of ignorance about one's own physical workings, one's fertility, how the whole thing works. I wonder how much the average man knows about female fertility. I was just picturing the producers of this commercial thinking that it makes perfect sense that all a couple needs is a romantic setting and BAM, pregnancy occurs. When you are on the wishing end of things, it seems amazing that anyone ever conceives, considering all the variables that have to come together just right.
Right, I know, it's only a cute commercial (and I have to admit I can't tell you now what was being advertised). Anytime you put a newborn baby into advertising, you open the field to very passionate thoughts and feelings. I suppose that's the ultimate point -- it's evocative.
And at least it helps the company (whoever they are) get free help spreading their ad.
3 comments:
Very thoughtful post. Some variation of your thought #2 crossed my mind, but I admit that I did not consider your thoughts #1 and 3. I really enjoyed reading your blog.
This is off-topic, but you have a lovely home - I love the architectural details of older homes.
That *would* have been painful to watch before I had kids.
Maybe they glossed over the timing issue because they're telling the story from a kid's point of view???
My question is, wouldn't their ABC have kept the end of the story from happening at all? (Otherwise why do they have only 1 kid who is 7-9?)
I disagree slightly with you about #2. I think the BEST gifts you can give your child are 1) a good relationship with God, 2) a good relationship with your spouse, and THEN 3) siblings to love/be loved by. The first two things probably aren't things you would think to explicitly mention because you have them... not everybody does. They are two things I feel I really missed out on growing up. I hope to correct that with my kids!
Stacy,
Right you are. Don't we all generally blog with half of our brains tied behind our backs? I do.
Of course faith and two committed and loving parents who stay married to each other are primary in a child's life. My thought was probably echoing something my friend Kimberly Hahn wrote in her book Life Giving Love, about how, if one is worried about finances it is much better to think of "giving a sibling" than giving lots of expensive gadgets or vacations to Disney or even expensive educational experiences.
So, yeah, having six siblings and being in a loveless, Godless home is not a good scene.
I did think of the ABC thing, and was going to mention something about it, but didn't want to go into too much of a tirade :)
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