Oh, How Cute

Being childless in your thirties is tricky business. Your peers are unsure if it is by choice or by the fates.  I will give you all that. It is difficult for you to interpret our long term plans with regards to "making a family. "  It pales in comparison to the business we face all the time in dealing with your babies. Or, more specifically, your baby pictures.

One day, the most appropriate reaction to being told you're expecting was, "oh shit, what are you going to do? " Then overnight I'm suppose to jump for joy. That was hard enough to deal with. But now, being smack dab in my middish thirties I'm forced to look at baby pictures from my same age and younger friends. AND grand baby pics from my older friends.

I know this makes us hugely unpopular but I think I speak for everyone when I admit I don't really know what to say when you show me pics of little Tommy eating mud. Clearly, he's not the brightest. And I'm positive me pointing out the bacteria that lives in mud is not appreciated. So what do we all say?  "Oh, how cute. " and strangely you respond well to it.

This topic came to me when earlier today I met a young lady and after an half hour of chit-chat she just HAD to show me a video of her daughter. I mentally prepared the fake smile and forced response. I watched this 12 second video and was completely confused. All this little wonder child was doing is sitting in a laundry basket. Her mother looked at me and said,  "did you hear her say it? " I had to lie to make my life easier. I didn't want to lose another 12 seconds of daylight. However, my other friend looked right at me and said, "what Was The video? " I was trapped so I pretended to be choking and unable to speak.

Turns out,  the little girl in the video was saying I love you. Totally didn't know her child spoke multiple languages. But,  here's the moral to this story: we don't mind looking at A picture of your child's greatest achievements (aka eating mud) but we only need to see a few in a social setting. Trust me, we feel awkward at times for not being the norm and having babies, so coming up with any appropriate remark is challenging. I have yet to have a good friend birth an ugly baby. When that day comes I'll write another post about my inability to handle that as well.