Yesterday I heard on the radio that there has been a sharp rise in vasectomies since (I think) November and that this directly correlates to the sharp downturn in our economy. Funny, I thought of you immediately, wondering, I wonder if Dr. Lee is experiencing a sharp downturn in couples seeking his treatment.

Last evening I called my neighbor who is a K-1 combo teacher at a school in our district. She’s an optimistic, very deeply caring teacher who has taught for years. We chat all the time about what is going on in our school district. Last night she told me her school had just had her favorite fundraiser of the year. The children draw pictures, then they are sent in and made into magnets. Normally she said each year she gets about 10 orders (half the class). This year she got one order. Some of the parents told her the $10 was too much for them right now. My heart sank. I have three daughters, 31, 19 and 12. All the magnets from their school years are on my refrigerator, even the faded ones from my oldest daughters which I’ve had to replace the magnet on.

Now I come here to read this latest blog post and you write, “Actually I am not OK”. You who help bring joy to families with children have chosen to write this piece.

My throat has a lump in it right now. None of us are OK even if it hasn’t hit us personally yet. None of us are OK because it is hurting others whom we may not even know.
As humans we are put on this planet as but a small piece of the greater humanity. May we all just take that breath, see fewer men are wanting to father any more children, and many parents can’t afford that “magnet” which captures their child’s drawing.

It is sad, and there is no word or words that can capture it.