The Pain of Childbirth

You may think that the pain of childbirth is in the actual birth itself. I beg to differ. I believe the pain of childbirth comes much later.

I will admit that when my children were much younger there were times when I couldn't wait until they turned 18 and my job as parent would be over. There would be no more lunches to make, no more battles to fight, no more laundry to fold, no more worrying and...no more "Calgon, Take Me Away" moments! Peace and Quiet would reign once more!

And then, around their senior year of high school, this attitude appears.

You thought middle school drama was bad? Dealing with sagging jeans, short skirts, bare bellies, underwear hanging out and what type of bathing suit they were going to wear that summer, was bad? How about dealing with the negotiations over curfews, driving and dating? Oh yeah, even the "Why do I have to go to church? No one in the youth group likes me anyway!" attitude.

No, the attitude I am speaking of is the one that starts with "I can't wait until I turn 18" and ends with "I AM 18 years old AND I can do whatever I WANT because I AM AN ADULT!!!!"

This is the beginning of true labor pains!