Stuff Weird People Think – Seven Kids

I’m often asked what it’s like to have seven kids. I never thought I’d have seven kids but now I can’t imagine life any other way. Each one of them is incredibly important to me and my wife and there are no words to describe the fulfillment they bring to this world.

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But then there are people. People generally don’t like what is not normal. They don’t think that anyone, including themselves, should go against the grain of normalcy, the normalcy that’s been defined through years of worldly consistency. And anyone having more than 2.2 kids is not considered normal. Yes, people think we’re …well, weird.

“SEVEN kids – what are you nuts??!!” And then the accompanying heartfelt, thinly veiled condolences; “well bless your heart”, “that is just so… wonderful”, “I had three siblings and that was such a blessing… but times were so different back then, weren’t they?”

The actual question being asked is different. It’s more about, “how could you do such a thing?” “Do you realize what you’ve done?” “How could you possibly populate this over-populated planet with more resource-consumers?” Furrowed brows and creased foreheads are usually present. Horror (well not quite horror but extreme displeasure) is evident in each question. “Are you aware of what causes this?”, “Don’t you own a TV?”, “Aren’t your kids neglected?” There’s a seemingly long drawn-out disappointment in every pre-drawn conclusion.

My wife has learned to field these types of questions quite well; she just laughs or shrugs her shoulders and smiles. She’s a real-life angel. To be honest, there are some well-wishers (usually those with many little offspring themselves) who find joy in someone else to relate to. I’m confident that nobody intends to belittle us. But they do; they can’t help it.

Now let me tell you about the cool side of all this. I cannot imagine life without each and every one of my kids. They are without a doubt the best thing that has ever happened to me and my wife and EACH of them holds that title. Our kids are our legacy. They have the have the opportunity to inspire those whom we could not inspire, to reach those we will never meet. They are the pinnacle of the Peek future!

I am grateful

 

Over my years with The Walt Disney Company, I’ve seen many wonderful recognition projects, including Service Anniversaries, Legacy Awards, Hometown identification, favorite characters, and of course birthdays. Recognition is a powerful tool, which Disney embraces at many levels. 

Well in an upcoming edition of the internal newsletter Eyes & Ears, Cast Members will be recognized for what they are grateful for during this holiday season. This will no doubt be a positive influence on both the submitter and the reader. After all, who doesn’t like being grateful?!

Here is my submission to the newsletter:

 

I am grateful for my job when so many very-talented people are out of work. I am grateful for my seven wonderful, healthy children. I am grateful for the protection I receive from things unknown. I am grateful for my wife, who showers me with blessings beyond comprehension. I am grateful that my place of employment chooses to trade its cash for my services on a weekly basis. I am eternally grateful for receiving blessings I don’t deserve, and I’m equally grateful for protection from the punishment that I do deserve. I’m so grateful to be blessed in so many ways!