Joe Willie On The Shrimpbox: "The Price of Children"

I've been spending a lot of time lately at the North Glynn County Recreation Complex. Our tax dollars have been well spent on a great facility that offers a lot to our community. I salute the folks that work and volunteer there and make it all happen.
My son, JoJo has been playing soccer for the Wave 104.1 team under the direction of Josh Lewis and Mike Waters. Being around so many children reminds me of a little story that a friend of mine shared with me. I'd like to now share it with you:

"The Price of Children"

I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost
of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen
the rewards listed this way. It's nice.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising
a child from birth to 18 to be $160,140 for a middle
income family. Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't
even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It
translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year, or

* $741.38 a month, or

* $171.08 a week.

* That's a mere $24.24 a day!

* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is "if you
want to be 'rich', don't have children.

Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of G~d every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm
cookies.
* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what
the boss said or how your stocks performed that day

For $160,140, you never have to grow up.

You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs, and
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading "The Adventures of Piglet and Pooh"
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies,
and
* wish upon a star.

You also get to:
* frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator
magnets, and collect:
* spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas,
* hand prints set in clay or Mother's Day, and
* cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no bigger bang for your buck.

You get to be a hero just for:
* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always
gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness history:
* her first step,
* his first word,
* her first bra,
* his first date, and
* their first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal.

You get another branch added to your family tree, and
if you're lucky, a long list of limbs called grandchildren
and great grandchildren in your obituary.

You get an education in psychology, nursing,
criminal justice, communications, and human
sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under G~d.

You have the power to:
* heal a boo-boo,
* scare away the monsters under the bed,
* patch a broken heart,
* police a slumber party,
* ground them forever, and
* love them without limits...

so that one day they, like you, will love without counting
the cost.

That is quite a deal for the price!