Being childless

Thoroah: I was thinking about the value of the family unit and I was thinking about the unqualified or the 
unequivocal love that a parent has for its children being about the closest example to what he was describing as divine love and in that context probably grandparents love is even closer because they are older, wiser, and have a certain amount of detachment from that.

Ginny: This is more of a personal consideration because I don't have children. I have not experienced that and I feel like I've missed a great deal because I don't have that connection and bonding.

Thoroah: Maybe we need to go to everybody as our children.

Ginny: I'd like to feel that, yeah, the love between parent and child is just unspeakable. Unnameable. It's just something that I cannot experience because I haven't done it, so I think this becomes a real personal need of mine because I haven't done that.  How can I, and anybody else who hasn't had that experience fill that gap and experience that?

Aaron: Yes, there is a quality of love that cuts across the spectrum, that realizes the noble truths that we learn from the ideals of family life that are set out by our Eternal Parents and shared by the human parents. This treasure trove of insight, parenting, is indeed invaluable to a full comprehension of what you ask, what you seek to know.  

There's a lot of equations that can be drawn in life so that you have a great understanding of what this 
parenting is. It in a way is a means whereby a mortal may feel the wonder of creation, the miracle of creation. 

The plan of procreation in itself is an impressive scheme and all of you are all too familiar with the side effects of basic hormonal activation which results in perpetuation of the race. There's certainly the physical 
attraction aspect, that is often more powerful than good sense, that insures the survival of the race, that tricks men and women into civilizing themselves so as to provide advancing mores and culture for their progeny.  

There is the delightful context of looking into the eyes of your child and seeing your contribution to this continuum of evolution and even more to realizing the spark of life that can only be given as a gift of God has been recreated by and through your participation. In the eyes of your child you see creation revisited, much as our Father sees life revisited in the eyes of each of His children. And thus rejoicing is an eternal condition, for love and life renewing itself is cause for joy indeed.

Look also to your child and see yourself reflected in his physical traits. He has his daddy's nose and his mommy's eyes. He has grandpa's long fingers, grandma's long legs. He has red hair like Uncle Homer and it looks like his eyes are going to be the color of Aunt Meg's. All of this brings a profound recognition of the continuity of that in life which makes life meaningful and good, all the way from the divine vantage point to the human appreciation of what it is to be part of family.

This standard that has been provided by Our Father and carried forth by the Creator Son and the Divine Minister is the generational appreciation of life being reborn again and again in each new generation to carry on all that is noble and good and to pass it along to those who come after as we all march toward the destiny of the ages. This kind of perspective that connects you with the whole of advancing life — in the spirit and in the flesh — is a perspective that gives great breadth and depth to the quality of love. Indeed it does constitute the greatest part of the spiritual, soul, and material existence.  

You will recognize these qualities in others, even as you realize your handicap, and knowing the values of parenting and passing on your culture from this generation to the next is something that we can all contribute to, whether we have the burden of the formula, the diapers, the 2:00 feedings, the childhood mumps and measles, the teaching to share, ad infinitum that comes with the parenting experience. Those of you who can at least appreciate what you are missing are able to enjoy your contributions in the cultural and social arena, even while your genetic contribution may be only slight or non-existent. It is better than removing yourself from the understanding entirely and avoiding the sensations and abasement that might 
go with understanding that you are missing something important in the scheme of things. This is such an important element of your learning and growing, you will be given every opportunity to make up for it and give to your arena those same qualities and values in your future experience as many of your mortal associates have and do now.

The Urantia Book speaks clearly and positively of the challenge faced by childless people and of the wonderful remediation process that is offered to all who are in this position after the resurrection. Refer to Urantia Book Paper 47.