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Living Vicariously Through Each Other

Posted by Stuart at 09:38 PM on January 11, 2007

As I sit here and hold day-old Ava Marie, I reflect on the whole amazing process. Since births happen all the time, I would think that we would get used to it. But no, it is still an awe-inspiring experience to share in the creation of another human life.

I was looking down at the sleeping baby in my arms, and my aunt asked me, "See? Isn't she beautiful?" I had to agree. "Doesn't it make you want to have one of your own?"

"Umm.... No. Absolutely not."

And I said it with a smile, because I really don't know why I missed out on the need-for-procreation gene. But having a baby of my own was the farthest thing from my mind at the time. And I am well past the age where that desire was supposed to kick in, so I guess that means that it's not going to happen.

It's funny how my sister's and I had the same childhood and share most of the same DNA, but our lives have taken wildly different paths the last few years. I have moved to the other side of the world and have done my best to put myself in as many different places as I can, as often as I can. She, on the other hand, found a wonderful husband, bought a house, and had her first child.

And we are both very happy with the outcomes and the paths ahead of us. So as she might marvel at the exotic places I go and things that I see (as she often comments on these pages), I too will marvel at her as she plays the premier role in shaping the life of another human being. It is a huge undertaking, and I have a lot of respect for her and the way she is going about it.

These paths that we have set ourselves upon are mutually exclusive. It would be impossible to do both, so we will just have to admire each other from afar. We will have to settle for living vicariously through each other as time goes on.

That's not such a bad thing after all...