Seen in the New York Times:
In a more innocent age, new mothers generally considered their babies to be the greatest gift imaginable. Today, they are likely to want some sort of tangible bonus as well.
And here I had always assumed babies were tangible.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Of course, I know you’re being facetious, but I still think it may be worth mentioning this:
Babies are tangible. But the NY Times editors aren’t talking about the babies; they’re suggesting that mothers want a bonus—in other words, something in addition to the babies—that is also tangible.
They may also be saying that although we enjoy wonderful rewards from parenthood, those rewards are, for the greater part, intangibles such as love and moral satisfaction. Mothers, they suggest, want tangibles as well.
I consider my babies to be a very tangible reward. A piece of jewelry wouldn’t even come close to matching the blessing of my new baby, no matter what the price.
Kim knows what they are saying. It just seems strange that some mothers want something else. To each their own, I guess. But I for one don’t see a material gift as being anywhere equal to a newborn baby.