The Currency of Parenthood

For years I have watched as parents made complete fools of themselves; talking in unusually high voices, crossing their eyes, sticking out their tongues, and twisting their faces into various arrangements. I always wondered why people did not keep this activity within the privacy of their own home, and chose to broadcast it openly in public restaurants and stores. It all seemed rather excessive merely to entertain an infant. Or was it?

Becoming a parent myself has brought enlightenment to this area, and I have come to realize that this display of public insanity has nothing to do with the child’s pleasure.

Parenting isn’t for cowards. Not only is their the expected dirty diaper changes and rearrangement of the schedule, but plentiful stains of vomitus (more pleasantly referred to as, “spit up”) to be removed from my own clothes and furniture, the numerous crying fits of discomfort and who knows what, the overwhelming responsibility, and the constant feeling that I have no idea what I’m doing. So with this monstrous load, what is the reward at such a young age?

Answer: Smiles and Squeals. They are surprisingly worth it all, and I will do anything to get more of them; even if it calls for public humiliation.