Home wreckers

“We spent years collecting meaningful, quality pieces,” he said. “Getting those kinds of pieces — the handmade silk pendant lamp, the teak Danish sideboard — it’s a huge project. Basically each room was finally done, and then it all got blown apart.”

So what happened? Was there a fire? Hurricane? No... the couple had kids. And to read the article, you'd think for most of the families interviewed there's serious remorse the latest additions don't contribute to the decor. Their aspirations of living in some kind of modern art museum don't mesh well with Garanimals and Gerber high chairs.

Having children puts life on a different course. You don't exist just for yourself anymore. This is a surprise? I remember telling my parents when the Musketeers' Mom and I were first expecting. Dad's response: "well, your life is sure about to change." He was right, of course. But so many people say this like it's a bad thing. Yes, we've given up certain options. But we've gained far more than we've ever sacrificed... even counting the couch that fell victim to a two-year-old with a cheese grater.

Because of the self-centered culture we've developed, people are marrying later, and having kids almost as an afterthought. We've traded "My Three Sons" for HGTV. No wonder the western birth rate is abysmal. But if we don't produce our own responsible heirs, there are plenty of meek (and not so meek) waiting to inherit the earth. Secular materialist self-absorption is a literal dead end.