Spirit Magazine - August 2014 - (Page 82)
FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
YEARS, nature HAS BEEN GUIDING
THE CHANGES IN OUR BODIES TO
MAKE US THE BEST PARENTS POSSIBLE.
A massive, four-year study by
the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research surveyed 130,000
adults internationally and found
that parents are happier than nonparents. Of course, these results
come with qualifications. Parenting
doesn't necessarily make people happier, but it's clear that parenthood is
associated with happiness and
meaning. Time and again research
has demonstrated that parents
experience greater depths of joy than
nonparents. And sure, the lows are
lower too, but like an elite athlete
who trains for years to achieve
success, the pain and struggle only
make the victory that much sweeter.
The Diaper Chronicles
ON MY FIRST date with David, I
never could have imagined how
much time we would one day spend
talking about poop. Whereas we
used to wax philosophical about
political theory and art, now much
of our conversation revolves around
Atlas' diaper. Sometimes, it extends
to the poop of other tiny beings too.
My friend Vanessa and her husband recently discovered a bright
blue bowel movement in the diaper
of their 1-year old son, Jonah. Like all
proud parents, they shared the news
on Facebook, dispatching photo
evidence and asking for theories on
what accounted for the discoloration.
Suggestions came pouring in: Did he
uncork a bottle of food coloring? Eat
a Smurf? We settled on ingestion of
blue Play-Doh as the most plausible
cause, but the case remains open.
The bizarre thing is that neither
David nor I find these discussions
disturbing. Poop has become just
another part of the day, a routine
sandwiched somewhere between
shopping for groceries and filling up
at the gas station.
It may not sound romantic, but it's
probably not so bad for our relationship. Long-term data on marriage
suggests that parenthood keeps us
connected to our spouses. Couples
with kids are more likely to stay
married, and married people are, on
average, happier than their unmarried peers. Sure, some couples stay
together for their kids rather than for
personal happiness. But here's what
I know for certain: Although David
and I talk more often about poop
than I ever anticipated, we're still
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - August 2014
Spirit Magazine - August 2014
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Eat Drink Sleep
Wise Guide
Numbers
Business
Into the Rough
Chaos Theory
Your Adventure In Northwest Flordia Beaches
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The “If” List
Spirit Magazine - August 2014
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