Dar a la luz

What follows is another example of some of the weird ruminations my mind makes while I procrastinate. I was just thinking how differently I feel on a certain subject compared to every female contemporary I know. What's the subject? I'll tell you momentarily, but I want to say to every man in my life - do not freak out! Do not run as fast as you can in the opposite direction and do not feel the need to keep my under lock and key. I'm talking about having a baby and although I have no intention of having one any time soon, I have found that my opinions on the subject are quite different from others. Every female friend/relative who is near my age has expressed some sort of fear, apprehension, or dread towards having a baby. They either do not want to endure a pregnancy, do not want to endure the birthing, are afraid of giving birth, or do not want to endure the years of motherhood to follow. I, on the other hand, have no fears about being pregnant, no dread of giving birth (epidural, anyone?), no fear of any complications that could arise during birth, and no real dread about raising a child. I can't tell if my lack of fear or apprehension stems from naïvete, from ignorance, or from the fact that I've always looked forward to having a child, and my firstborn daughter's name has already been decided (and whoever her father is, he will just have to accept it). Whatever the reason, I am the only girl I know (especially from my acquaintance here at State) that looks forward to having a baby. But, as I've said, there's no hurry. Although I have told my Dad, when he decried his lack of a grandson to carry on the family name, that were I to have a child out of wedlock, that child would have my family's name. Surprisingly, he refused my offer.