A Tale of Three Sisters

Once upon a time a long time ago there were three sisters close in age who married young.  Over the next dozen years, each had a half dozen or so children.  Each sister loved her children and loved being a mother but eventually wanted the babies to stop coming.  Each talked things over with her husband.  Two went on to consult their doctors and compassionate priests.  These two went on the Pill, had no more pregnancies and lived happily ever after.

The third sister had no more pregnancies either.  She did not consult a doctor or a priest on the matter because her husband was one hundred percent against artificial birth control.  Over the next few years, onlookers noticed a rift widening between the couple that did not lessen even as the husband became ill and died a premature death.  It took the grieving widow several years to come to terms with the suffering she and her husband had undergone as a result of their inability to find common ground, and during that time she stayed away from church.  Eventually, she regained her naturally buoyant spirit, returned to the sacraments and went on to live happily ever after.