As a father, I read Victor Joecks May 10 column, “Tell women the truth about motherhood,” with interest. When I was a teenager, my mother told me that I would never understand what it meant to have kids until I had my own. However, knowing what my mother endured to give birth and raise me and my three siblings, and what my wife similarly went and is going through to give us three children, I would add that, as a father, I will never fully understand the sacrifices made by mothers — ever — but I am eternally grateful for them.
From that perspective, Mr. Joecks myopically blames feminism for the ever-declining birthrate when there are so many other factors such as declining fertility caused by industrial poisons. Neither does he discuss the financial burden of raising children in an unstable era where few couples can afford the luxury of having one partner stay at home as the costs for fuel, health care, food and accommodations continue to skyrocket.
There is no question that motherhood is a unique role — the miraculous creation and rearing of a new life — that should be celebrated. However, women, as creative and complex beings (just like men), can serve humanity in myriad ways beyond parenthood.
The key problem is that we live in an era where life is not cherished, and we have lost our moral compass due to materialism. We must address all of these issues to better understand why we are struggling as a society.
