It's exciting and thrilling to look beyond the “either / or” aspects of big life decisions and find there are some “ands.” In fact, since this topic seems to be popping up all over the place for me and others – I'm gonna sit myself down and write a post about it! How's that?

Ok, mutual admiration moment: I think you're pretty darn amazing, too! So glad you shared your thoughts with such candor & wit. Keep it up, girl!

It's exciting and thrilling to look beyond the “either / or” aspects of big life decisions and find there are some “ands.” In fact, since this topic seems to be popping up all over the place for me and others – I'm gonna sit myself down and write a post about it! How's that?

Ok, mutual admiration moment: I think you're pretty darn amazing, too! So glad you shared your thoughts with such candor & wit. Keep it up, girl!

ILY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRuNxHqwazs

That's one of the biggest underlying factors. See, I have this list. And I don't want to throw the list away because I have kids. I want to have my world-travelling, good-time-having, too-much-fun cake and eat it too. Your little blurb up here lets me know it's possible, so thank you.

I think it's pretty sweet that I can admit that I don't know – and judging by the last bit of your comment – it's totally okay that I don't.

You're pretty much amazing – thanks for being here!

One – 40 killer cousins – that's quite the fam. I've got like, four I think, and you can tell by the way I say that – they aren't a huge part of my life.

But, I digress. And I agree with you on the wanting it part. Tomorrow? No. Later, whatever “later” means? Hell to the yeah. It's that when part that is the question. (is there an echo in here?)

In all reality – I have heard, once or twice, that being a part of my birth was a miracle. I think you're full of shit sometimes but I'll give you credit where credit is due. I'd be pretty stoked to be my dad if I were you too.

All kidding aside, I'm off to the store to find Mr. Right. I heard they're having a Mr. Right sale this week only.

AM I HOME YET?!?! OMG I MISS YOU GUYS LIKE WHOA!

I particularly like the part of where you say that the fam will be here to help me raise the little me's. Thank goodness for that. They'll have an awesome set of grandparents with a pool in Florida – that's pretty sweet.

I kinda got nauseous typing that – but I'll let it slide. Thanks for being here!

Okay, overstatements and jokes aside, the reason I 'want' to have kids is because I want family and it's because of how much I love mine. I have no doubts about my gradual transformation into a caring father, as far away as it seems when it's a completely irrelevant portrait of myself in the context of the life I'm living right now.

Do I feel prepared? Ready? Even remotely aware of what it would entail? No.

But I'm from a big Irish family with 2 amazing sisters and 40 killer cousins and having loved the role they've played in my life, I'd like to contribute my own little buggers to the next generation.

When? That's the question, there, isn't it.

And even though I don't have the same energy & stamina as a 20-something mom, I do have a enormous wealth of wisdom & experience that guides my parenting style. There is NO manual. I still have to figure it out as I go along – like any new parent. However, I've noticed a strong, quiet assurance within and less hurry-scurry without in meeting the constant challenges of child rearing.

Bottom line for me: I'm soooo glad that I waited to have a child and was willing to follow my heart & intuition even though the pull in my mid-20s to start a family was incredibly strong. It's was part conscious choice and part circumstance. And there's still NO guarantee that I won't screw up.

As for you: if you don't know, you don't know. That's totally ok. It's better to stand in a place of uncertainty until you are able to arrive at clarity. Most of us find that place supremely uncomfortable, yet it's the passage through the mist that brings us to incredible vistas. Trust yourself, you'll know when the time is right.