Mia and Manny were so in love. They had a home big enough to have some children. They had a garden full of fresh food and clean water to drink. They had many friends in the village they lived in and traded goods to have whatever they needed. They felt pleased that children were the only thing missing from their cozy home.
That night after dinner, they spoke about making a family. Mia asked, “How many children should we have?” Manny did not think much about his answer before he responded, “As many as we can be blessed with.”
A year passed, and Mia and Manny had a child. The baby was as happy as possible, and so were Mia and Manny. As the baby grew, Mia and Manny continued to have more children. Their home was complete. The big family competed for food that seemed to run out impossibly fast. Mia could not work in the gardens as she was busy looking after their many children.
As they prepared meals, Mia realized the garden was looking bare. She realized there was not enough room in the tiny house. “Manny,” she said. “Can we afford to add a room to our home and expand the garden by a few rows?” She was feeling scared. “Sure, we can. With time. I’ve no money at the moment.” Manny reassured her.
A few weeks passed, and Mia was feeling overwhelmed. Every day she hoped Manny would get the supplies needed to add another room to their home.
When Manny was sleeping, Mia woke feeling ill and told Manny about it the following day. Together they learned that Mia was expecting another child. This would be their eleventh child. Manny was delighted to be a father of such a big family, and he loved his wife so dearly. “We should celebrate!” he announced. Mia grabbed his hands, and they turned to each other. Mia was shaking. “Manny, we must stop having children. This baby will be our last. We have an overflowing home. Our garden is bare. Our hearts are full, but our pockets are empty. PLATFORM for the NEEDY will help educate us on how to refrain from having more children. We should have made a plan. I will reach out to them for help. Maybe they can also help us with our garden.” Manny had tears forming. He hugged her and did not say a word. He thought back to the day they spoke about children. If they had thought long and hard about that question, they would have been better prepared.