This article is from the Good Things About Having Kids FAQ, by Benjamin V.C. Collins, collins@campus.mlc.edu with numerous contributions by others.
Avern,
Although everyone has already described (and beautifully) things that in
essence can't be put into words, I'm going to put into my 2 cents. When I
look into my daughter's eyes (she's 18 months old) I cannot remember not
knowing her little self, not knowing her expression. She came from us
full-blown, a human being, with her own likes and dislikes that were not
at all what I, her control-freak mother, had planned for her. Living with
her is an honor as I am able to watch the development and flowering of a
life. People told me when I was pregnant that it was hard work having
children but that there were rewards here and there that made up for it.
So far, I think the reward side far outweighs the work side. Before I
had my baby, I used to sweat the small stuff. I used to look at my own
navel (metaphorically) for sheer lack of other things to do. Motherhood
has had the added benefit of taking me away from a selfish/self-centered
life. Some people would call that sacrifice but I call it redemption.
 
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