Aging While Childless: Where Do I Fit In?

By not being a parent or a guardian to any children, I’ve realized just how deep and multifaceted life really is. Don’t get me wrong, children are fantastic. Which is why I used to worry I was missing out because my husband and I do not have any. That I had somehow taken Robert Frost’s “road less traveled”, and as result, my path would be a little less technicolored.

I’m happy to report this is not the case.

I came to that point where I knew my path was going to be different than many of my friends. They were having and/or adopting children and spending a lot of time doing so. No matter the reason, I wasn’t. So, what was left for me?

Honestly, at first, I felt guilty. Like I was doing something wrong because I wasn’t doing what was typical. I wasn’t “normal.” But then, I decided to purposely embrace my life and see what areas I wanted to cultivate. While I’m living differently than my Mama and Papa friends, I’m still living intentionally and with purpose. And my life is incredibly rich.

And really, if we ALL take a hard, honest look at our lives, we can almost always find a part of our life is not “normal” or expected. I have a friend who is zealous about living life on a ship. I have another who lives full time in an RV. Another gal pal I know exists happily on her own and moves to a new country every few years.

Because life is so multifaceted, beauty and passion and laughter are NOT just for people who take the expected road. Thank goodness. And that other road? It’s different and unusual, but just as amazing.

​​Aging While Childless Entries: I want to help empower those who (for whatever reason) are living childless, so that they can further embrace their situation and find joy. A life filled with children is a life filled with treasures---but so is a life without children.