I NEVER EXACTLY SAID YES TO HAVING A FAMILY. But I didn't say no either. My wife Madeleine would bring up the subject of children every few years, and I mastered the art of changing the subject. But after seven years of marriage she managed to convince me. So there I was, about to become a father.
My emotions swung between excited anticipation and fear about this new step. I had a lot of concerns. Namely, could I adjust to the change in our independence and freedom? Would I be a stable provider? Could I still be adventuresome and free-spirited? And—would my kids even like me?
All my life I've turned to God for answers, especially when I feel afraid. So during this time, I deepend my prayers and spiritual study. Madeleine and I also asked a Christian Science practitioner to pray with us during the pregnancy. The practitioner suggested that I spend some time considering Mary Baker Eddy's explanation of man—which applies to all men and women—in Science and Health. Part of it reads, "Man is idea, the image, of Love; he is not physique." Science and Health, p. 475. Although I had read and studied this passage many times before, it now took on new meaning for me. I thought about the real essence of each one of God's children, and began to see how perfect we all really are as creations of the one perfect Parent.
