Sometimes, buried within the mire of a romantic comedy is a beautiful truth, a nugget of pure gold.
I confess, I'm a sucker for chick-flicks like most women, even though they are, more often than not, morally questionable.
“The Backup Plan” starring Jennifer Lopez is no exception. But for all the immorality and ethical issues that appear in this particular film (i.e. premarital sex and IVF), there is some real truth to be found.
I thought of this film when I read an article LifeSiteNews just published on a Democratic rep who stated that “babies' persistent cries, habit of interrupting their parents' sleep, and learning disabilities might justify abortion.”
I was not surprised by her words, but there is something about that sort of cavalier support of “convenience abortion” that never ceases to infuriate me.
It was just after reading this article that I was reminded of the scene from “The Backup Plan,” where Lopez's love interest has just discovered that he's going to father twins (conceived through IVF, just before the couple met) if he remains in their relationship. He loves her, but he's panicking about being a father.
He sits down on a park bench next to a stranger who is watching his own children at play. After explaining his situation and expressing his apprehension, he asks,
“What's it like, the whole kid thing?”
The stranger responds (and here's the gold):
“The best way I can describe it is, it's awful, awful, awful, awful…and then, something incredible happens. And then awful, awful, awful, awful … awful. And then something incredible happens again. It's like this all day every day, I feel like I'm drowning, gasping to get my old life back. And then a small moment happens that's so magical, so life affirming that it makes it all worthwhile. This will be the best thing you ever do.”
That is the point. Right there. Parenthood is really, really difficult. It's not endless cooing, nestling a soft warm head, snuggling before bedtime or hearing your child laugh. It's a lot of crying too, and sleep deprivation and heartache when your child is sick or suffering.
But from what I hear about parenthood, those tiny, magical moments make all the rest of it worth it.
Sadly some would rather snuff out the potential for the miraculous to avoid the tiresome, the mundane, the inconvenient.