The Childless Life
Remember when you were young and had all the answers to everything?
Here's a college student who thinks she has it all figured out. She's convinced that she will live a childless life by choice.
And that's great for her. Not everybody is cut out to be a parent. But I'll bet that more than half of all parents once said they would never have kids.
Myself, I never even thought about it. Children were not a part of my life until my son was born. And it certainly wasn't a dream or goal of mine to become a father. Now, of course, I can't imagine being childless. My life is richer and fuller because of my kids, in ways that I never could've predicted twenty years ago.
I would never tell that young woman she should become a mother. That's her business. But I would tell her that things don't always go the way you expect. Just don't be disappointed that the life you have all mapped out for yourself doesn't come to fruition.
John Lennon said it best, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Here's a college student who thinks she has it all figured out. She's convinced that she will live a childless life by choice.
And that's great for her. Not everybody is cut out to be a parent. But I'll bet that more than half of all parents once said they would never have kids.
Myself, I never even thought about it. Children were not a part of my life until my son was born. And it certainly wasn't a dream or goal of mine to become a father. Now, of course, I can't imagine being childless. My life is richer and fuller because of my kids, in ways that I never could've predicted twenty years ago.
I would never tell that young woman she should become a mother. That's her business. But I would tell her that things don't always go the way you expect. Just don't be disappointed that the life you have all mapped out for yourself doesn't come to fruition.
John Lennon said it best, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Permalink posted by Phil at 11:58 PM
7 Comments:
I didn't want kids until five and half years ago. My son is five and it was about three months into the pregnancy when I realized, I love this thing and I haven't even met it yet.
I wouldn't change a thing. Being a father is the best job I've ever had.
I always wanted kids. No idea why the motivation was so strong in me.
I always thought I'd have kids, but never really thought about wanting them. It was just an inevitability without any real desire attached to it.
Now of course I wouldn't want my life any other way.
Funny, but I was just having this conversation with my teens last night at dinner...my youngest was saying she never wanted to have children (might have something to do with the kids she babysits) and I told her I was like that until after I got married in my 30s--and I wasn't ever going to get married either. Life changes us and we should be careful not to stick too closely with a plan or strong opinions, but just be and see what comes to us as gifts...my children have been a gift I could have missed out on...
I bet the author of that article experiences a cringing sensation when she re-reads her work in 20 years time.
Dunc.
I have 4 lads of me own and even though lifes map was filed away 7 years go when I was left to raise the completely along, I wouldnt of missed one single minute of it, even through the most hardest dark days there was aways a little chink in the black out curtains that let one see a little bit of sunshine.....
And with my job, there has ALWAYS been a baby in this house (well an under 3 at least). except not just one lol, for the last 24 years.... what with me lads and then 18 years of others peoples precious children.... so it seems Im been a mum of babies and toddlers and middlers and teenagers and young men all wrapped up together for 24 years LOL.....
x
I never imagine myself married, with a house in the burbs or with kids. The house in the burbs is the only part that disappoints me...I'm much more of a big city kind of guy. I can however imagine being childless and not that I think about it daily or anything, I do love those nights/weekend away with just the Mrs.
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