my comments on your comments, and then some.

Last Sunday I asked you guys who you loved more: your children or your parents. I got a variety of responses, some that I want to share with you.

trublubyu said:
i love my parents for teaching me how to raise children. and i love my children for teaching me how to be a parent and in return appreciate all my parents did in raising me. but, truthfully- it is possible that i may love my children just a little bit more- as they are who i am in the service of at this time in my life. and, doesn't the bible tell us to leave our mother and father and cleave unto our husband? so, it would seem that our children are an extension of that union and naturally would have an amazing pull on our love.

As I've pondered this question over the last week, I think TruBlu hit on a major point. God instructed us that at a certain point in our lives, we are to leave our parents. That's part of our genetic make-up as well -- the desire to find a mate of your own and produce offspring. And the love you feel for your spouse is vastly different from that you feel for your parents, and children, as part of your spouse, are part of that love.

aubrey:
Definitely my kid, not that I don't love my parents, but I think you have a lot more love for someone that depends on you for everything (although less and less as they grow). You love who you serve.

Aha! Another nail on the head. You serve those whom you love. That service begets greater feelings of love. It's a vicious, beautiful cycle. Along with that is the element of sacrifice. Parents sacrifice so much for their children. Money, time, sleep, time together, SLEEP, TV shows, new things, the last cookie.........the list goes on and on. But that sacrifice just brings about greater love. Why else do you think God our Father and Christ love us so much? God sacrificed His Son, and Christ sacrificed His own life. OF COURSE they love us more than we can comprehand with our measly finite minds! Service and sacrifice beget love, and you just don't sacrifice for your parents the way you do for your children.

my own mother:
As YOUR mother...ahemmmm... you had better say your children! That's when we as parents know we have done a good job of raising our children. When we have children we learn that happiness doesn't come from others making US happy, it comes as we strive to make others happy by serving THEM. That's a cycle we pray will continue throughout the lives of our children and their posterity. Actually, it's a very easy question! Love you muches!!!!

Love you, too, mom, despite this post!! I was actually a bit worried that my parents would take slight offense to this post, but I should've known better. They love me, and understand what I was trying to say.

fiauna:
I have to say I love my children more. I do. And it makes me sad to think that one day they'll answer this question the same way I just did.

Fiauna has shared what inspired me to ask this question. Over a week ago, I lay in bed, thinking about how infatuated I was with my children. I started thinking about my parents (who I've luckily been able to see a lot of this summer) and realized that while I loved them immensely, it was like it didn't even compare to the love I had for my children. Maybe it's just a different kind of love like Annette said, but it's very different. And then I realized that someday, my children would probably think the same about me.


And that made me kinda sad.

As much as I love my children, I will probably always love them more than they love me. It just means that I need to eat up all the love they are willing to give me right now as small children. They depend on me for so much, and are not afraid to tell me they love me and give hugs and kisses frequently. I know that this stage will NOT go on much longer, and I've just got to savor it while it lasts.