Just a Little Snip

I once got a tearful call from a friend who was heartbroken over the fact that her husband had scheduled a vasectomy without discussing it with her. She was grateful for their two children, but always thought there would be more. I was shocked that the husband would make that decision without benefit of her blessing. When I suggested that perhaps he would postpone the procedure if she shared her broken heart with him, she replied that if getting snipped would make him happy, so be it. My response of what about her being happy fell on those proverbial deaf ears.

Later, I listened as another friend announced her husband would get a vasectomy - or else. Her husband was the one in this case hoping to add one more child to the family, but for the sake of peace, the appointment was made and kept.

And because all things here come back to me, I was thinking about the, "How many kids shall we have?" discussions Checkered and I had. We liked the number three. But after our second baby was born, I had a miscarriage and decided that two babies were enough. But Checkered really wanted three. And although I could have lived happily with two, we had that third one. And he is such an enrichment to our family.

I do wonder what would have happened in my friends' lives had the "We're done!" spouse been willing to have one more.

Of course, we ended up with a bonus #4 baby. And the day that baby was born, Checkered and I both knew: it was time to make the appointment.

Life surely is a fun ride, isn't it?

P.S. Not that the topic of family planning made me think of her, but http://noenoegirl.blogspot.com/ is the new Heloise. Her little salt trick helped my frying pan! I was going to drive down to Virginia and give her a thank-you hug, but then Google maps said it would be an 11 hour drive. A virtual hug will have to do. Then again, I am on spring break this week...

P.P.S. What I made was a variation of PW's Pan-Fried Ribeye. I suspect it turned out better in Oklahoma.