When I found out that I was going to have a surprise baby, I was shocked, but what shocked me even more was the reactions of those around me! It seems as though in our society it is believed that a parent has no life. That having children is a death of sorts, an end to you and the beginning of a life of slavery to a child that may not even be born yet. In my opinion this is very telling of our culture. Why would we see birth as death. It is so backwards. Yes babies mean an end to late night parties and sleeping in, but they are also marking the beginning of family, an unconditionally loving relationship, and a whole new set of experiences that one has never had before. How could any of that warrant an apology instead of a congratulations? Of course not everyone sees birth as death, but it does seem to be an increasing common view. For example many women are waiting until they are physically too old to really be starting a family, because they didn't want the child to come between them and their percieved success. This is fine, but then slowly views start to change and before you know it it has become the norm to wait and infants and mothers are having health problems and parents are getting older and older. If you have kids under the age of 30 you are now viewed as a young parent even though the ideal time for your body to produce a child is before 30. Why do we believe and do these things? I have no real answers for that question. All I can say is that in my opinion having kids is a beautiful beginning, not an end!