Do you think she meant to say that on the outside?

I know that not everyone wants to have a big family these days. We have four little blessings ages seven and under, which I know is maybe a little bit of self-inflicted insanity in some people's opinions. But for us, it's all good. We planned each child and joyfully waited for the new little person to join our family.

Yesterday we went for a walk, two in the double stroller, one each side, everyone munching fresh apricots from a local fruit market. Happy. One of those parenting moments we all like to enjoy; no one was fighting or fussing, it was a glorious day and all was well. An older woman was walking towards us and my older boy automatically went to the same side of the stroller as his younger brother to leave her room to pass. The manners were working! And as I watched her approach us I nearly said, "Well, don't you look nice." Because she did look nice in a short little strappy sundress with her grey hair pulled back in a chignon.

As this fancy clad matron drew alongside us she beat me to speech with a loud, "Whatever happened to the Pill?" comment that left me speechless. Speechless.

I have to say that it takes a LOT to leave me speechless. Words are not something I have to scramble for, but in this case all I could do was sputter. The true outrage and indignation hit me a few minutes later, but she was too far away for me to respond to her complete rudeness.

Why is it her business how many children we've chosen to have? She's not paying for them. We're thrilled to have them. I certainly don't go around advising people on how many people they need in their families.

If I ever run into this woman on the streets again I'd love to ask her which of my four children should I not have had? I absolutely cannot imagine life without my three boys or my baby girl. Why does she care how many I have?

Some day my children may take care of her in her old age in some professional capacity. If that happens she'll have to count herself lucky because already my children are kinder to strangers than she is.