tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post5139493968228775024..comments2023-03-28T12:41:45.894-04:00Comments on The Little Grape: Happy with what I have, in spite of popular opinionMari Passanantihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06899493114555183048noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post-50603936938231611292011-06-07T13:10:21.843-04:002011-06-07T13:10:21.843-04:00I realize that you wrote this post a while ago, ho...I realize that you wrote this post a while ago, however, I found it wonderful and it resonated with my own life and I wanted to thank you for it. My circumstances are different, my husband was a widower with a 4 year-old daughter when we met. After we got married everyone presumed we would have another child. However, both of really like the dynamic of our one-child family and love not having our home in constant chaos or have children fighting with eachother all the time. But, as you mentioned, people are constantly telling us (me in particular) that we are doing our daughter a disservice by not giving her a sibling...the underlying message is that it is selfish of us. I don't have the biological ticking-clock that I thought I would - I am beyond delighted to love and help raise this amazing little girl and that's enough for me.<br /><br />Sorry to ramble, I just found it very refreshing to read about a happy single-child family. Like most things in life, people should do what works for them and their families and only provide advice upon request. Thanks again for your post and your blog...I get a huge kick out of it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post-27558760768668817682011-04-06T20:47:35.923-04:002011-04-06T20:47:35.923-04:00Mari I follow your posts from time to time as we s...Mari I follow your posts from time to time as we share a mutual friend and i have to commend you on this one. It's not about being brave - to your point, it's 2011, we women have earned the right to make our own calls in life. I think people are more surprised and applauding you for addressing an issue that's so puzzling to breeders of 3 and 4 and 5 children - (gasp) - only wanting and being (eek) happy with one. I am dealing with this myself and have struggled with whether to blog about it. I have a happy, healthy, well-adjusted 2 1/2 year old and I'm perfectly content, while considering myself quite blessed. You may have just inspired me to get blogging. Thank you.Baby Hereau's Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13377108928551225322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post-59658325674602596382011-03-14T15:47:08.756-04:002011-03-14T15:47:08.756-04:00Thanks for reading. I was frankly surprised when ...Thanks for reading. I was frankly surprised when I read my email and saw that so many readers called this post "brave.". Have we women sunk so low that decision making about our families and bodies qualifies as brave if it is anything different from average?Mari Passanantihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06899493114555183048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post-88532951983029894822011-02-28T16:33:00.522-05:002011-02-28T16:33:00.522-05:00I always find it surprising that in the area of fa...I always find it surprising that in the area of family (having children at all, deciding to have more than one, or not) that people feel free to shower you with their opinion of why your choice is wrong. I applaud you.<br /><br />If I could find the peace of heart to only have one, I would. But the pull to mother another is so strong that we are walking through the adoption fires to get there.<br /><br />http://itiswhatitisorisit.net/Victoriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07115698808877432352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post-51564713831154991922011-02-28T15:33:11.787-05:002011-02-28T15:33:11.787-05:00Being an only child was (is) great. You're not...Being an only child was (is) great. You're not doing anything wrong to your kid by not having more. And you have to do what's right for you, too!Marie Cloutierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938166831865436287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8759813497004409554.post-89590399645144785012011-02-28T14:43:34.727-05:002011-02-28T14:43:34.727-05:00Mari - this is fabulous! I applaud both your hone...Mari - this is fabulous! I applaud both your honesty, and your choice!<br /><br />Isn't it amazing how people always feel that matters related to others' families and parenting choices are their business? Or how they feel that the choices THEY made personally are the best and should therefore be copied by everyone else?<br /><br />And I can totally relate to the rough pregnancy issue. I had debilitating anemia and 6 + months of round-the-clock nausea with both of my kids, and was hospitalized for premature labor then put on bed-rest for 3 months with the 1st. I clearly recall one midnight vomiting episode during my second pregnancy when, head down the toilet, I called out to my husband, "If god forbid something should happen to this baby, there's no way I'll have it in me to try again."<br /><br />I think that each woman instinctively knows what the right family size is for her. And luckily, we're all different.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com