> What a truly pathetic reason for living. The only reason living things exist is for living things to exist? No. Reproduction is the mechanism by which we exist. It's not in itself a purpose. If all we're good for is to reproduce, then we *have* no purpose or reason to exist; we merely do it to continue a purposeless existence.
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> Fortunately, I don't believe that.

Have you ever held a new born baby? That, to me, is certainly a wonderful reason to be alive. Of course, a lot of people have children for totally selfish reasons. Like "I want someone who'll love me" and such. Having children is one of the most precious gifts that we have been given. And not just flesh and blood children, either. Ask any childless couple striving to adopt a child.

I don't have any children yet. Mostly (ok...totally) because I'm not married yet. But I hope that I'll be a good mother someday. And this IS one of the reasons I live for.

Another couple of reasons I continue to survive in the face of overwhelming adversity (at least, It always seems that way at the time) are my nephews. At the times in my life when I seem to be the most depressed or just having a really lousy day, my five year old nephew will say to me "Ticia, I missed you." That's enough to lift my spirits and give me a reason to go on. Or when my two year old nephew runs to the door and throws his arms around my knees when I come to visit. All the while yelling "Ticia! Ticia!" (It also helps that Ticia was the second word he ever said, right after Mommy.) And when he sings "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or a million other things these two bright little souls do that make me ecstatically happy to be alive and able to be with them.

So yes, I do think having children is a good enough reason to exist. And a darn good one, at that!

Ticia