I recently came to a conclusion, people need to be have long term frequent exposure to kids to be a fully formed adult.  Since I started working in my current job, 20+ years ago, I have had dealing with a certain person that always seemed cold and uncaring.  He lacked any real social skills yet he is a smart guy.  I can hear people reading this who will tell me he has some syndrome or the other, but this is not the case because when he feels he wants to, he can be civil to people.  Recently however I was in the office and he was in the next one over having a conversation w/ a co-worker.  He and his wife had gone to some festival or the other and what struck me was that he seemed to be annoyed that they had kids at this thing that was obviously a family event.  The more I thought about this the more it made sense that the reason he has no empathy or compassion or flexibility is that he has no kids and is not really all that exposed to them as a uncle or similar situation.  I really think that maybe there is part of your brain, your personality, that does not fully turn itself on if you are not near kids.  Kids are unpredicatble, they ask for things, they spill something on your new clothes just as you are going out on a big night out even if they are careful, they can be unreasonable, they ask why 90 times in a row till you have no more answers, they get sick just as you are planning that big trip, they make every minor promise into a blood oath, they forget they have a major science project due tommorrow and it is 10 PM...and they see you as their hero, they love you unconditionally, they have your eyes, they make you smile even on your worst day.   Kids make you have to roll with the flow and adapt and accept life as it comes at times.   You learn from them as much as they learn from you.  I am not saying that childless couples, especially those that do not choose it, are somehow lesser people.  As I said being near kids as an uncle or aunt by blood or friendship...we all have an uncle or aunt that is not realted to us but was your parent's college roomamte or something..does the same thing if you let it.   Maybe I am way off here but I think I am right.  So tonite look at your kids and remember they keep you sane, and if they drive you nuts...well I once read you need a lil touch of insanity to keep your heart knowing you are alive