We-are-familyyy...

[lucherenren]

That, at the very least, was the background theme of my weekend. First, on a rather hot Saturday morning, I was among those attending the wedding of our secretary, Sara.

Her husband is a good young man - they're both still quite young, actually, but he kinda looks like Harry Potter with a bit of facial hair thrown in the mix and a more lively hairdo

Comments

[supiluliumas]

That lasts right up until they spit up on you! Seen it happen. Lady my age, maybe her biological clock is make some noise, then she's cuddling an infant, beatific glow in her face, but then the little cub gurgles, spits, splat, sayonara expensive Armacci dress!

I saw right in her eyes, right into her soul. The urge to have a child flared, sputtered, and then died in the space of about four seconds. One of nature's miracles.

[unclejam]

This is due to a trigger in the brain!

My father begat a half-sister upon my stepmother to their mutual surprise as well as my own. When I met her she was two, and while a reasonably endearing example of the human infant, did not seem particularly charming, especially as she was apparently afraid of me. (This has changed.)

My father asked me, "Isn't she just the sweetest baby?" and I kind of smiled and nodded while thinking: Actually, Dad, she's distinctly average!

That said, they ARE fun to play with. And compassion is never a bad thing

[lucherenren]

Sure enough, there are lots of preservation measures rooted in our makeup and instinct - it's the same with several other species: sort of "Keep our genome going all over the world, be nice to your fellow newborn today".

Of course, there's also something else because we're a culture, we're social... we are complex, and we have feelings. Compassion (which is a surprising concept in itself, as it's both a broad category and a deeply personal experience) and a certain measure of empathy are certaily among them.