"Something you hope to do in your life"

Some girls, when they are young, dream of being a mother. From a very young age, they are encouraged to play with dolls - coddle them like they were there very own, “feed” them, dress them, name them.  I think some women are born with a natural, maternal instinct.

When I was a child, I had my fair share of dolls, but I did best at making sure they were clean and put away in an organized fashion. They were used as a tool for me to sharpen my OCD skills that would later serve me very well in life. I would sing to these dolls, all in an effort to hone in on my musical abilities. I even had dolls that had anatomically correct private parts. True story. They were newborn twins, a boy and girl. The little boy had little boy parts and the girl had little girl parts. Again, a tool to sharpen my intelligence. While they were funny to show my more sheltered friends, I never really cared to “mother” them.

I had friends in High Schools whose life goals were to become mothers. I dreamt of a career and a husband, but not necessarily “off-spring.” Now, some 20 years later, I come upon my first anniversary or wedded bliss. While having children was never a priority for me, that all changed when I met a man that I couldn’t imagine NOT having a family with.

Neal was born to be a father. When I see how he responds to babies and children, THAT is when I start to get this maternal instinct. It may have come much later in life for me than others, but I look forward to having lil’ Catholic babies with Neal. (Hopefully with his big blue eyes and chubby cheeks.) Making me his wife was the proudest moment I’ve ever had, and one day, when the time is right, I hope to make him a proud father.

And that is what I hope to do in life…

~Jenn