A Reason for Having Another Child

Kayanne Traverse in Palm Beach, Florida, writes:

When the children of a married couple I know were ages 20, 18, and 12, the 12-year-old succumbed to a dread disease. After a period of mourning, the couple decided to have another child. They said that they would not have had their fourth child if one of their other children hadn’t died. What do you think of their reasoning?

Marilyn responds:

I wouldn’t call this reasoning. Perhaps one could call it an emotion decision. Regardless, my best guess is that when the couple sustained this terrible loss, they also found how much they missed having a youngster at home and wanted to bring a little one into the house. Another child would not only help to distract them from their grief, he or she would be a joy on his or her own.