The same is true about being a parent. Whatever qualities it takes, you need more. I may as well admit it. I have found parenthood to be the single most difficult job, far more demanding than being a writer or a woman, which are no picnics, either. For such a demanding job one would think nature would have devised a stringent system to screen out the unqualified.
Reality is obviously otherwise.
I can still remember the two occasions when my husband and I brought our precious bundles home from the hospital. We were awestruck by the responsibility of rearing these fragile and vulnerable beings. In each case our awe soon gave way to shock. Despite their physical helplessness, they had minds and wills of their own. When their desires did not coincide with ours, they did not hesitate to let us know about it.