"An Immense Luxury"
"Five good children are an immense luxury, and to deny one's self other luxuries in order to raise them is not self-denial at all, but merely an intelligent choice of investment."
--Edward Sandford Martin, The Luxury of Children (1904)
22 comments:
What a beautiful quote. It's been a tough mothering summer for me with my four, but things are getting better, thanks in part to my change in attitude about finding joy in having them rather than feeling like it's all drudgery.
I have three, and I find them to be challenging but also an immense joy to have them in my life!
Maria
Oh, I like that quote very much! I've always been ok with not having/doing certain things in order to be at home with my kids--homeschooling to boot!--and it's not very often those feelings are validated by the world at large..
Thanks for sharing that!
Thank you for posting this comment. I am so blessed to have the four precious ones. I looked up the book on google and you can actually download a pdf file of the for free of the whole book! I look forward to reading it :) Thanks again
This mama of five will be writing this quote down. Thank you for the validation and encouragement, I needed that.
Thank you! Just beautiful.
Love this quote!
What a fantastic quote. True wealth, indeed! Thanks for sharing!
;-)
Oh how truth rings like a bell in the heart of one who loves much.
Kimmie
mama to 8
one homemade and 7 adopted
How precious! Thanks for sharing.
Sonja
We've got six, and trying to get them through college debt-free is a big struggle, so I put this on my blog today. Thanks! (Gave you credit, too.)
That is a beautiful quote, Anna, and one that just feels so true. I have always felt deep within that a man and woman blessed with good children are the richest people on earth. What a joy - what a privilege - what a gift.
I couldn't agree more. My children are so much joy to me. Kathi
I wholeheartedly concur, our investment of five is returning in the form of a beautiful grandchildren. So worth it.
Now that's getting written down and also facebooked. And my oldest of my own 5 (12yob) was pleased to read it. Thank you!
Thanks for that quote! Love. It.
I've spent the morning purusing the online version of the book from which the quote was taken:
http://books.google.com/books?id=r5ZIAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Edward+Sandford+Martin%22&hl=en&ei=EnNSTv3TAqfq0gGIiZH-Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
We only have 4, but they ARE the best luxury on earth!
This was a great reminder to read while holding the youngest of my 5 and listening to 3 of the others arguing!
I love it! Especially since I have 5 children. :-) Thanks for a lovely reminder!
This is not popular among women,
however, I call for a resurgance
and join in the thought
which will lead to lifestyle action
and example to others.
Gratefully.
{{* *}}
Our wise and perfect Father knew what He was doing when He gave the command to be fruitful and multiply...a command that defies today's "modern" thinking. The culture's view is to say "live first, acquire and pursue all this world has to offer". God's says, children are a gift...a blessing...a hertitage from Him...train them in the way they "should" go and when they are old they shall not depart from it.
I exhort couples to embrace the gift of children, train them to be a joy and when "you" are old you will delight in them, too. {Not to mention the delight you will enjoy during all the years you have with them ~ a child's smile on a difficult day, their laughter and joy in learning and discovery that affects your own heart as you watch them grow, the gratitude to the Father when they walk in Truth...}
Parenting is a hard but profitable work...a gift and honor.
Grateful for your post ~
Jarnette
mama to soon-to-be 8
What an encouragement to my frazzled, end of summer, needing the routine of September Mama nerves. I've printed this out to hang on the fridge. Thank you!
dorothy
What a wonderful quote! It's especially meaningful to me as I'm pregnant with our fifth child. :) Thanks for sharing this golden nuggest, Anna; I posted it on my blog tonight so that others could be encouraged by it, too.
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