Happy Mother's Day!

Hi there, it’s Olivia!

I want to start by wishing all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day! This special day always prompts me to reflect on my life and the choices I've made. I came across an article recently that projected 1 in 4 women to be "childless" in the future. It went on to differentiate between "childless" and "childfree", the former referring to an unplanned and undesired future without children while the latter referring to actively choosing to not have children. The article also highlighted a connection between "childlessness" and "singleness". This got me wondering, am I childless or childfree?

Well, my ex-husband and I had planned to have children, but that didn't happen due to various reasons. At this point, I'm grateful for those reasons. Before getting married, I imagined a jet-setting life without children. Do I like children? Absolutely! Do I want children? The answer is no, and that puts me in the rare "child-free" category. As for remaining single, that's a different question. I'm not sure if I'll get married again, but I definitely want a partner in crime. Being child-free doesn't mean I'm not maternal.

I've been a mother figure to many over the years. I've played the role of a matriarch for my ex-husband's family, served as an empathetic mentor to those who have reported to me, being the fun aunt with sage advice, and of course, a doggy mom to my fur baby, Ryley. I won't deny that I often envy those sisters, friends, and coworkers who share heartwarming stories of their children's homemade cards, texts, and breakfasts in bed. I've also seen the terrible twos (and threes), temper tantrums, rehabs, and bottles of wine used to self-medicate the day away.

Then there's the all-too-selfish question "Who will take care of me when I get old?" My "childfree" friend and I joke about living together in our 80s and changing each other's diapers or living in the guest house of our sibling's retirement homes. No matter if you're child full, childless, or child-free, the world needs its mothers. Whether it's an Earth mother, a pet mother, a human mother, or a mentor, today is the day to celebrate you!

Happy Mother's Day!

With love, Olivia