A time to Rejoice in the Midst of Mourning

Yesterday I had cause to rejoice as I talked to my youngest daughter and learned that she had given birth to Leviticus Rex, her fifth child and my thirty first grandchild. At the same event I was attending when I called my daughter someone asked me if I had any great grand children. I said no, but the question caused me to reflect on the reasons why I have no great-grandchildren. Although my oldest grandchild is married and in her late twenties she has not been able to have a child. The next oldest grandchild has chosen to delay having a family as he and his wife embark on a year long tour of the world. The next two grandchildren, both of them boys, died shortly after birth. It would not be reasonable to expect the next three grandchildren to have children at this time based on age alone since all are in their late teens. However the nineteen year old is is impaired by autistism to the point that her parents were required to obtain extended custody. The next has Down's Syndrome and the next has decided that she is a boy.