The Road Less Travelled

Easter goodies for childless readers

Sue Fagalde Lick adoption, childfree-by-choice, childless, Easter basket, marrying someone who doesn't want kids, Selfish Shallow Self-Absorbed, The Road Less Travelled, when men want kids and women don't
Today, still overwhelmed and under-inspired, I’m offering you an Easter basket full of links and thoughts.
“The A Word: Why We Didn’t Adopt” by Loribeth at The Road Less Travelled. It’s something people don’t talk much about. I haven’t really addressed it here, but this long post will fill that gap.
Loribeth at The Road Less Traveled talks about the new book Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not to Have Kids. I have not read it yet, but I’m planning to. Apparently, it leans hard to the childfree-by-choice side, but maybe we can identify with some of it, and there’s a lot of wisdom in Loribeth’s review.
“When Men Want Kids and Women Aren’t So Sure” Usually it seems to be the other way around. This New York Magazine piece looks at young women who aren’t so ready to join the mom club. Check out the comments, too, almost 200 of them at this point. It’s just a hard thing to figure out, isn’t it?
I hope you enjoy these links and follow them wherever they take you.

Question:

If you were advising a young person in your life who was considering a permanent relationship with someone who doesn’t want to have children, what would you tell them? Forget about your own situation for a minute. What would you tell this nephew, daughter, or friend whom you love?

Happy Easter to one and all. Don’t forget that it’s about more than a bunny who lays chocolate eggs.

Childless feel worse at Christmas

Sue Fagalde Lick Christmas alone, Christmas card photos, Christmas without kids, The Road Less Travelled

I debated about posting this. I don’t want to bum people out with this blog, but I need some love tonight. As most of you know, my husband passed away earlier this year. And like you, I don’t have any kids. Well, I got the Christmas boxes out to decorate the house and put up my fake tree and discovered I just couldn’t do it this year. The whole Christmas thing just makes me feel more alone. It all speaks of a house full of people, and I don’t have that.

Today I got one of those Christmas card photos from a friend who is posing with her husband, daughters and grandchildren. It’s a beautiful picture, and it’s fun to see how much they’ve changed since I saw them last. But it makes me sad. To think I could have had that just kills me. My picture would show me and a dog. Most of the time, that’s fine, but today . . . it just hurts.

Maybe you’re feeling down this time of year, too. We need to support each other. How are you doing?

I have been reading a childless blog by a woman called loribeth. It’s called The Road Less Travelled. She talks about the holidays, too, plus a lot of other great posts. Check it out.

Thanks for letting me whine.