I feel sure that unborn babies pick their parents.

Gloria Swanson, the great actress whose life was filled with both brilliance and trial, once declared with mystical conviction: “I feel sure that unborn babies pick their parents.” In this statement lies more than sentiment; it is a vision of destiny, a suggestion that life before life is guided by choice and purpose. Rather than seeing parenthood as mere chance or accident, Swanson’s words elevate it into a sacred covenant—an agreement between souls that transcends time and body.

At its heart, this saying is about destiny and belonging. To believe that children choose their parents is to see each birth not as a random occurrence but as part of a grand design. It gives meaning to the challenges between parent and child, suggesting that even the difficulties are not mistakes, but chosen lessons meant to shape both. Thus, parenting becomes not only duty, but spiritual partnership; and childhood becomes not only growth, but fulfillment of a deeper promise.

History and tradition across many cultures whisper of similar beliefs. In certain Native American teachings, it is said that spirits wait in the sky world and choose the families into which they will descend. In Hindu philosophy, karma guides the soul to the parents best suited for its journey. And in ancient Greek thought, even before birth, the soul had a destiny written in the stars. Swanson’s words, though spoken in the twentieth century, echo these ancient streams of wisdom, showing how enduring is the idea that family is chosen, not random.

To see life in this way also reshapes how one views hardship. A difficult child, a struggling parent, a family strained by illness or poverty—all may be seen not as misfortune, but as a chosen bond, forged in mystery, meant to teach resilience, compassion, and strength. In this light, the struggles of family are sanctified, transformed from burdens into opportunities for growth. Love is no longer merely obligation; it is a vow made long before the child’s first breath.

Consider the story of Helen Keller. Born into silence and darkness, she seemed destined for isolation. Yet in her own writings she often spoke of gratitude for her parents and for her teacher, Anne Sullivan, whom she described as a guiding spirit. One could say, in Swanson’s terms, that Keller’s soul chose these very companions so she might transform suffering into triumph, blindness into vision, silence into voice. Her life, like Swanson’s belief, shows us that even the harshest beginnings can be filled with purpose.

The lesson here is both tender and mighty: treat your children as though they chose you. See in their eyes not only innocence, but wisdom—an eternal soul that trusted you to guide them. And for children who reflect on their parents, whether they were gentle or stern, flawed or noble, remember that in some mysterious sense, your soul knew and accepted them. This perspective dissolves resentment and awakens reverence, turning the family bond into a sacred teacher for both sides.

Therefore, let Gloria Swanson’s words endure as a teaching to generations: the bond between parent and child is not random, but woven by the unseen hand of destiny—or by the child’s own choice of spirit. To believe this is to walk in reverence, to treat parenthood not as chance but as calling, and to greet every family struggle not with despair but with gratitude. For if the soul chose this path, then every trial has meaning, and every love is eternal.