As I don’t know how to reply to a list of posts, you get to be the guinea pig. I generally agree with you.
I have 7 formal, and two, informal godchildren. US, Japan, Germany. I’m not married, and decided because of genetics that I peobably would not have children. Type 1 diabetes, for example.
My godchildren are invested heavily in my life. Besides helping raise them (teaching them to drive and maintain autos, first solid food, reading stories 2x/week, 10 yrs of homework, navigating first loves, learning to fish or shoot, paying some of college or med schoool tuition, yada, yada, yada.
Three of them know me better than their parents do! All watch over me (now in my mid 70s) as I watched over them.
Two have blessed me with great god-children.
The crux of my diatribe? I can not imagine the deprivation experienced by those who have not been allowed by fate or circumstances to see and help an infant grow into a functioning, contributing member of human society.
Nils-you are a good fella-and lucky too. Many of us don’t see outside ourselves until it’s too late. I’ve heard of stories where a kid from a really dysfunctional family turned out ok because of a kind friend or neighbor. Everyone needs to find that sweet spot where they can help others in a way that doesn’t turn to the government. I was on a cross country ride on the Green Tortoise, a hippie bus line. SF to Boston. Mostly young. On board a French couple with a 4 year old daughter-very outgoing. She brought out all the motherly instincts of these young European women-most very pretty. It told me that motherhood is a woman’s calling. For the cat ladies out there they should all bring one child into the world no matter how screwed up they are. There’s help available. Perhaps JD should help them get there. He’ll find out how Harrison Butker feels.