Reflection: Becoming and Belonging

A friend asks me: Am I ready for a child? This is not a yes, no question. If I ask this question to myself, I would have this deeper inquiry to myself:

Am I becoming the kind of person who could give a child the love, security, and presence they deserve, even as I continue growing?

No one ever fully arrives. But you do want to reach a point where you can say:

• I have enough emotional regulation to not pass on pain unconsciously.

• I can offer care to someone without abandoning myself, and when I do, there’s no resentment, only conscious choice.

• I know how to ask for help when I’m overwhelmed.

I don’t have to be perfect to be ready. But I want to be aware, intentional, and willing to keep evolving, for myself, and for the future life I might one day hold in my arms.