fresh no ads
The miracle of life | Philstar.com
^

Sunday Lifestyle

The miracle of life

- Tingting Cojuangco -
Women are special because, except for Adam, the life of every human being starts in the womb.

The womb is unique. Imagine a combination of over 400 million cells developing into a human being. All of us were nurtured in the womb, at times referred to as "the true garden of Eden." It possesses a constant temperature, hydraulic cushioning, has the ability to feed and throw away waste in order to preserve life. It is connected to the magical umbilical cord that nourishes the unborn to good health. It’s a sad thing that humans welcome babies to the world with a slap on their buttocks. That’s life, I guess.

In the Bible, God said to Eve, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. And with pain we were also born."

To Adam, He said, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat plants of the field. By the sweat of your brows you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken." Still, this didn’t even out the score, according to RA 9262, the law that addresses violence against women and children.

Contrary to popular notion, God did not tell Adam and Eve to "go forth and multiply." He gave these words to Noah and his sons after the great deluge. He said, "As for you, be fruitful and increase in numbers; multiply on the earth and increase upon it." From then on, the world was populated again and individuals had a special purpose once more.
* * *
Someone up there loves us from the moment we are conceived. In fact, God gave us something that He did not give His angels. He gave us a choice! Even if we made mistakes, He would still be there to offer us more choices.

The story goes on. And God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. Wonderful, right? And He couldn’t have come into the world without a mother.

Random thoughts speed through my mind about these miracles called life and birth. In the womb, a built-in personality is developed. Behavioral science experts tell us that the personality of the individual is determined by the mother’s physio-psychological make-up during conception. Modern psychiatry says it is in the womb that the individual character is determined.

Babies instinctively learn to identify threats, and which is safe, such as a mama’s scent and mama’s breast. The need for safety is seen in the baby’s eyes. The question in a baby’s developing brain is, "Do I see a friend or a foe?" At some point, the child develops the intuition of an older person. He will love some faces and see only danger in others. All too soon, the child learns the meaning of having power over other people, and eagerly takes advantage of doting adults. Some psychiatrists say it is in the womb that factors converge to determine whether an individual becomes a good citizen or a menace to society.
* * *
We all have within us the "id" until we die. This is the child in us. We remain children in our own way. This must be the part of us that sees wonder in the dawn or the sunset, never mind that we have seen them all a thousand times before. This is why, even in our 60s and 70s, we still fall in love and act as though hit by lightning. It is this child in us that makes life worth living. It is what makes us believe in the miracle called life.

ADAM AND EVE

CENTER

CHILD

DO I

GAVE

GOD

IN THE BIBLE

LIFE

TO ADAM

WOMB

Are you sure you want to log out?
X
Login

Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. Sign up now!

Get Updated:

Signup for the News Round now

FORGOT PASSWORD?
SIGN IN
or sign in with