There is a sentence I've heard uttered many times. I try to brush it off as I'm sure those speaking it don't mean offense, but it's been slowly nagging at me. It's something that maybe you've heard before, maybe you've even said it - "You don't know love until you have children".
To assume this statement is true would mean the feeling I have towards my brothers and my parents, isn't sincere love, that the deep connection I have with my spouse isn't an authentic love, and the emotions I feel towards my friends isn't genuine love. I don't have children but that doesn't mean I don't know what love is. Just because I haven't incubated a human doesn't mean I haven't experienced love.
Perhaps I've chosen not to have kids because of a rough childhood I don't wish to inflict on another human being. Maybe I desperately want children but biology is against me. Maybe the world today isn't the place I want to raise children. Does the reason really matter?
I do believe that the feeling experienced after having children is different, and I do believe that it too, is love. It's a new perspective on love. We just have different perspectives.
