We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
Henry Ward Beecher
No worldly joy comes anywhere close to the joy of becoming a parent. A child is arguably the greatest gift a couple can hope for. Words can never describe the ecstasy that parenthood entails. Someone who hasn’t been a parent themselves can never understand how all those sleepless nights and incessant crying can be worthwhile to someone who has.
In a world that has become increasingly obsessed with material joys, it is easy to forget what true joy feels like. It doesn’t come as a new sports car or a luxurious mansion, for these pleasures are transient; the satisfaction one gets from them isn’t lasting. However, we remain blissfully ignorant of this timeless wisdom until we become parents.
Ask any parent around you what the happiest moment in their life was, and you are bound to receive the same answer from almost each one of them – the moment they realized they were parents. Even the most artistic of human beings will attest to the fact that their kids were their most beautiful creation.
The feeling of bringing new life to this world with the person you are so madly in love with is unparalleled. It not only awakens hitherto unknown instincts in us, but also strengthens the bond between the couple themselves. Holding a tender body in your hand, waking up to their relentless crying, watching them toddle, getting them new toys, and watching them grow up are the most priceless memories for a parent. Nothing, absolutely nothing comes close to the experience of creating and raising a baby. And that is why it is extremely important to keep reminding our children how much we love them and what they mean to us.
Henry Ward Beecher was an American social reformer and speaker. Well-known for his support for the abolition of slavery, Beecher also had lofty views on the art of parenting. He once commented: “We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.”