this is beautiful! in thinking about becoming a parent, i've been struggling with the exact emotional contradiction you described — wanting to be brave and hopeful for the child's sake, while internally feeling horrified and soft about the state of the world. it's helpful to know that current parents are finding a way through it!
Thank you for putting this so well. This was also my own experience of motherhood, though I couldn't put this so articulately.
this is beautiful! in thinking about becoming a parent, i've been struggling with the exact emotional contradiction you described — wanting to be brave and hopeful for the child's sake, while internally feeling horrified and soft about the state of the world. it's helpful to know that current parents are finding a way through it!
That's beautiful. Thank you.
Having a baby really makes literal that we've evolved to be too aware of strangers but not involved enough with our community.